(Family Features) From self-expression to self-direction, there are countless ways to age out loud. Some of the most rewarding ways for older adults involve passing on experiences, wisdom and skills to others.

Everyone has something to share, and these ideas from the Administration of Community Living can help you get started.

Mentor. Use professional or personal experiences to guide a child, young adult or peer. Example: Visit Senior Corps at nationalservice.gov to learn about becoming a foster grandparent.

Volunteer. Put skills to use while giving back to your community. Example: Sign up to collect food or clothing donations, serve meals at a local soup kitchen or help older adults with daily tasks at home, such as paying bills.

Speak. Sign up for speaking engagements, paid or unpaid, as well as storytelling events. Example: Open-mic events, often at theaters and libraries, welcome speakers of all ages.

Engage. Visit a senior center or organize a gathering focused on connecting with others. Example: Book clubs attract participants of all ages and encourage the exchange of ideas.

Write. Pen an article, op-ed or even a book to communicate wisdom and lessons learned. Example: Start with something you know the most about, such as a career, hobby or historical event, and submit a column to your local newspaper.

July 17, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on Life Extension: The Modern Anti-Aging Movement – Are We Standing at the Threshold of Immortality?Filed under: General

Why is skincare the focus of longevity research? I guess a cell is a cell, and if you can crack the code for one human cell, it is only a matter of time to solving the puzzle with different types of cell – and skin is without doubt the most visible cells each of us have. And it’s our faces in particular we often judge ourselves and others by, and we are in turn quickly scrutinized, and often opinions reached in a fraction of a second. Our faces often show the most visible signs of aging, and for many in modern society age is by nature “bad” and young or looking young is the ideal. That is why billions and billions of dollars each year are poured by consumers into all sorts of treatments to minimize wrinkles, to push back the effects of gravity, and to turn back the hands of time. And with that much money to be spent by consumers, there are many manufacturers eager to find the next step in arresting Father Time – and at least detaining him until the next stagecoach arrives, where hopefully he can be encouraged to move on before too much damage can be done.

The Entire Issue Explained – In A Pair of Shoelaces

Some time ago a friend gave me a simple analogy that puts this entire issue in perspective. The science may not win a Nobel Prize, but it gave me the necessary ah-ha moment.

The double helix of the DNA strand – our most basic foundation for life – is held together at each end by things that act in the same way as the hard plastic bits on the end of shoelaces do – preventing the DNA from unraveling, and the individual chromosomes scattering across the floor like dropping a string of pearls down a marble staircase. These things are called telomeres.

Somewhere programmed into these tiny telomeres is the entire basis to how long the DNA stays intact – and by inference these are the keys to the length of life of the organism. Somewhere written into the telomere is a great musical score but like all musical scores it has a double bar somewhere to signify the end; but is it to be a minuet or a Wagnerian epic? But sure enough, when the time comes, and the telomeres blow the full time whistle, the DNA strand will unravel and die – and the circle of life begins again. Telomeres govern how often our skin cells are replaced; why a puppy and a child born on the same date may age exactly the same chronologically, but the puppy has become a geriatric before the child reaches puberty.

Telomeres, my friend explained, occasionally go on the fritz (that must have a very specific scientific meaning). One of the ways this occurs is they may forget their programming to release and unravel, and they just hang on, allowing the cells thus affected to multiply again and again without dying. In fact, when this occurs often they become very difficult to kill and to all intents and purposes once the telomeres act in this way, the cell – and those it propagates – are effectively immortal.

This condition has a name which we all know. Cancer.

But, what if we were able in some way to persuade the telomeres within a cancer to behave normally – would that not be the “magic bullet” cure for cancer? And the other side to that equation – if the telomeres in healthy cells could be persuaded to act as they do in a cancer – then is this the recipe for a healthy cell that does not die? Does the cure for cancer and immortality hang on just this one thread?

Whatever your views may be, the reality is that some of the world’s finest research scientists are working on that exact question and some would say it is only a matter of a decade or two before this is neither conjecture nor science fiction, but a reality to face up to. The changes that would take place in society even if life expectancy were to take a leap forward by say 10 or 20 years are enormous, but we should all be thinking that this is a distinct possibility.

From the dab of lanoline a generation ago to what I know hold in my hand as an anti aging skincare treatment is more than just a revolution – and I have no doubt in a few years I will be saying this cream will not just slow the aging process and reduce the visible signs of aging, making your face appear younger – but it will actually be younger.

But before that, let’s look back at how this whole engagement with life extension and anti-aging started. Mankind has always striven for longevity and mused about immortality – but the past 50 years has seen some dramatic steps in reality toward this goal.

Genesis

The thought of extending life has been on the mind of mankind for millennia. References to the search for ways to prolong life can be found as far back as the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh was reputedly the fifth king of the kingdom of Uruk, the modern-day Iraq, around 2500 BC. According to the Sumerian list of kings, he reigned for 126 years. The Torah or Old Testament records Methuselah as living over 900 years, with life spans measured in centuries apparently commonplace before the time of Noah.

Throughout the development of scientific thought from the Reformation onwards, scholars have applied themselves to solving this riddle and these endeavors continue today at the very leading edge of scientific progress.

Unraveling Secrets

As the secrets of our existence are unraveled in ever more minute detail, we are beginning to understand what it is that makes us grow from tiny babies into adults. We now know, for example, that cell functions slow down as the body ages and that production of certain substances required by the body to regenerate decrease or cease completely.

Skin, for instance, needs two substances to retain strength and firmness.
The production of these substances namely collagen (strength, tightness) and elastin (flexibility) decreases with age. The decreases in production together with other factors that include the threat of free radicals make the skin age and become wrinkly. Free radicals are essentially incomplete oxygen molecules causing destructive chain reactions within cells.

The same kind of thing happens in every cell, every tissue and organ around the human body. For example, people develop frown lines, crow’s feet and wrinkles. Nutrients are no longer absorbed easily and vital cell functions, hormones and other substances are produced at decreased rates resulting in the body aging.

A Brief History of the Life Extension Movement

Science has been looking for ways to slow down this process for centuries. The forming of life extension movements, however, did not really begin until around 1970.

â¢ In this year, Denham Harman, the originator of the so-called ‘free radical theory of aging’, decided that an organization dedicated to the research and information sharing between scientists working in biogerontology (the field of science concerned with the biological aspects involved in the aging process) was needed. As a result, the American Aging Association was formed.

â¢ In 1976, two futurists, Philip Gordon and Joel Kurtzman wrote a book on the research into extending the human lifespan. This popular volume was titled ‘No More Dying. The Conquest Of Aging And The Extension Of Human Life’.

â¢ Kurtzman was then invited to speak at Florida’s House Select Committee (HSC) of Aging, which was chaired by Claude Pepper, an American politician and spokesman for the elderly. The aim of this talk was to discuss the impact on Social Security by life extension.

â¢ In 1980, Saul Kent, a prominent activist in the field of life extension, published the book ‘The Life Extension Revolution’ and founded the nutraceutical (from ‘nutrition’ and ‘pharmaceutical’, in other words, a nutrition supplement) firm known as ‘The Life Extension Foundation’.

This foundation is a non-profit making organization promoting dietary supplements and publishing the periodical ‘Life Extension Magazine’. Kent was later involved in work relating to cryogenics. He was jailed in the course of this work over a dispute at one point, although charges were dropped at a later stage.

â¢ In 1982, American health writer and life extension advocate Sandy Shaw and her co-writer, Durk Pearson, popularized the term ‘life extension’ even further with the bestseller ‘Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach’.

â¢ Roy Walford, a gerontologist and life-extensionist, published ‘Maximum Lifespan’, another popular book on the subject. He and Richard Weindruch, his student, followed this up in 1988 with their summary on the research they had conducted into the ability to prolong the life of rodents through calorie restriction. The title of this book is ‘The Retardation of Aging and Disease by Dietary Restriction’.

Although this ability to extend life with calorie restriction had been known since the 1930’s, when gerontologist, biochemist and nutritionist Clive McCay did some research into the subject, it was the work of Walford and Weinbruch that gave solid scientific grounding to the McCay’s findings.

Walford’s scientific work was driven by a personal interest in life extension. He practiced calorie restriction as part of his own life and eventually died at the age of 80. The cause of his death was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive motor neuron disease.

â¢ A4M, the ‘American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine’ was founded in 1992 to create a medical specialty for anti aging that was distinctly separate from geriatrics. This allowed scientists and physicians interested in this particular field of science to hold conferences and discuss the latest developments.

â¢ The sci.life-extension, a Usenet group, was created by California-born author, philosopher and translator Brian M. Delaney. This represented an important development within the movement of life extension. It made it possible, for example, for the CR (Calorie Restriction) Society to be created.

â¢ A more recent development is the proposal of Dr A. de Grey, a biogerontologist at Cambridge University. This proposal suggested that damage to cells, macromolecules, organs and tissues can be repaired with the help of advanced biotechnology. This is evident in hair restoration products, for instance.

More than Books

Although it would appear that most of the work revolving around life extension has been done solely by writing books or founding societies or organizations of some kind or another, the reality is that these books were written in response to or based on very specific, detailed scientific research that have yielded positive results.

They are no longer the works of hopeful minds, but the works of dedicated scientists who have spent their lives working on discovering facts about aging and trying to find ways to slow down, or even reverse the process.

Many breakthroughs have been made, and in many ways, we are already able to extend lives to a certain extent. The average lifespan of a human being is already far greater than it used to be as a result of medical, pharmaceutical and nutritional advances brought about by research and development.

The work continues, and scientists around the world are continually conducting research, comparing results, discussing options and making advances on our behalf.

Driving Forces behind the Development of the Life Extension Movement

What factors are driving this movement into ever greater efforts to find solutions to the extension of Life? The answer to this question actually includes a whole range of factors.

Expectations Have Risen

As the ‘baby boomer’ generation (born between 1946-1964) enters retirement age, expectations of this group are dramatically different from those of the preceding generations. They have greater expectations and desires to enjoy their life as pensioners to the fullest and for as long as is possible. This expectation covers not only length of life, but quality of life as well and this is not a passive request but an active and strident demand in many cases.

Pharmacology

Progress in pharmacology has led to a wide selection of drugs that allow people to live longer and fuller lives being developed over the last two decades or so. The work is still very much in progress and many more drugs are being developed daily.

One of the classic examples of a drug raising the quality of life for older individuals are erectile dysfunction treatments – notably Viagra, Cialis and Levitra. These drugs have dramatically reduced the number of fatalities or serious injury resulting from elderly men rolling out of bed, as well as a number of more qualitative benefits.

Advances in Genetics

Some of the latest scientific research and subsequent advances made in biotechnology and genetics are providing some hope that it may be possible to hold back some of the fundamental causes of aging.

As we outlined previously, chromosomes containing DNA strings are essentially capped with a binding substance known as telomeres. In effect, the telomeres are consumed during cell division and over time, they become shorter and shorter.

This was first observed by a scientist called Leonard Hayflick, and the process of limited cell division was subsequently named the Hayflick Limit. Advocates of life extension work on the thought that lengthening the telomeres through drugs or gene therapy may ultimately extend the Hayflick Limit and thereby fool the cells, and as such the body, into ‘thinking’ it is younger than it actually is.

Developments in Precision Manufacture

Advances made in the fields of nanotechnology, miniaturization, computer chips and robotics also provide hope for potentially life extending solutions.

In the 1970’s, a popular TV series starred Lee Majors as the ‘Six Million Dollar Man’? Science fiction then. Today, it is science fact. Millions of people now walk through life with artificial ankle, knee and hip joints and healthy feet. A generation ago, mass production of this kind of technology was a distant dream.

The same applies to many individuals with artificial limbs. Artificial legs used to be crude wooden contraptions that were just able to keep a person balanced. Today’s artificial limbs are almost fully functional.

The Blessings of Medical Progress

Who would have thought even 50 years ago that it would become possible to bypass a coronary artery, or even replace a heart completely? Yet there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of individuals enjoying their lives after having this kind of surgery – few of whom would be alive just half a century ago.

Millions of people no longer have to wear glasses, because of the availability of laser surgery. This, too, was science fiction just a few years ago. Today, it is advertised next to shampoo in magazines and on TV.

In other words, science is moving rapidly towards not only extending life, but making the quality of these extra years better as well.

Is it Science, Science Fiction or Lunacy?

What should the average person believe? This question is almost as difficult to answer as finding solutions to extended life. Even among scientists, opinions are divided. Some do believe that extending the quality of life is as possible as extending life in general.

Others brush off the thought as un-scientific nonsense. This is often simply based on the fear of anything ‘new’ disturbing the status quo of established limits. Fortunately, real scientists do keep on looking, because if every single scientist had decided that some of the advancements already in medical, pharmaceutical and technological fields could not be possible, we would all still be dying at 30.

So where does that leave us?

There is no doubt what-so-ever that there are many charlatans out there trying to make a quick buck out of people’s desire to retain their youth. Even today, many products being sold in their millions are essentially non-effective – often given fantastic names and have the most bewildering ingredients to make them look scientific to consumers and justify their cost.

But the facts are while many advancements are being made and research points to the possibility of eventually finding the key to maintaining youth for longer, the scientific community is still warning the public that many of the products being sold today are unreliable to say the least.

â¢ Although food supplements may assist in keeping a body healthier – something that can often be achieved by simply adopting a healthier life style and diet – there is as yet no categorical and undeniable proof that they slow down aging as such.

â¢ The same goes for many hormone treatments. Although they may have a short term effect of some kind, it is not yet scientifically proven that they will actually work in the long run. The fear that it may not work is based on the fact that taking hormones, a good example is the hormonal acne treatment, will ultimately actually slow down the body’s own production of these hormones.

In addition, many treatments may have potential (and yet unknown) side effects in the long run that could be harmful to the user’s health. This includes the fears that such hormone treatments could increase the risk of cancer, diabetes and other major illnesses.

â¢ Other ideas, like the calorie restriction method, are working for rodents. In fact, studies conducted with rats on 30 to 50 per cent restricted diets have shown to almost double the life span of rats.

Similar studies conducted on primates have also shown tendency to extend life to a certain extent and prevent a list of age related illnesses. There are as yet no studies on humans, although some are actually living on calorie restricted diets. Whether this will prolong their lives, however, is a question of having to wait and see.

The theory is that by reducing calorie intake, the metabolism of the body is slowed down, thereby slowing the aging process as well. Nutritionists say there is a certain amount of calories a body of a certain size and weight needs to have to maintain health. Reducing this amount by up to 50 per cent is hardly a good idea in the long term.

Time will tell, as they say, but how will anyone be able to tell the difference? If a person lives to the age of 80, is this because they are on this diet or would they have lived to this age anyway?

Where Will This Lead?

Many believe there is realistic hope and expectation of making significant strides in the area of longevity within the next two decades. This group typically believes the answer will ultimately lie within genetics and biotechnology. It is too early to make definite predictions, but the research so far shows promise and, as mentioned earlier, some of the results of this research are already being used in certain treatments to improve patients’ lives.

At present, overall aging is difficult to slow down, to say the least. Some products indicate they will assist in maintaining overall health/longevity, but the area we are seeing the first commercial products being developed is in the area of skin care and given the size of this market, it is likely that this will continue to be the weather-vane of longevity treatments.

Science or Snake Oil?

It will be difficult to tell these two apart for many years. Charlatans are likely to about, because it is difficult to disprove many theories easily. Equally difficult will be positive proof from those with an ethical perspective on the trail of a real breakthrough, as products based on valid research and using technology or ingredients that will actually have an effect rarely promise overnight results. This is something that anyone looking to find improved youthful looks, etc, will have to bear in mind. None of these products can perform miracles. Even the best of them will take time and regular use in order to achieve the desired effect.

The bottom line is that where we stand now, we can be sure there are some things which are ineffective or even harmful; there are some that show some promise and there are some that are starting to cross the line of being able to demonstrate results – albeit modestly at this point.

In the meantime, it is wise to research products very carefully and to refuse to be baffled by weird and wonderful sounding ingredients or fantastic sounding promises of instant youth. Regeneration will take time – let’s face it, it has taken a lifetime to get to this point, turning back the clock can never be possible over night.

Skin Care and the Life Extension Movement

One may well ask just what all this, and in particular the life extension movement as such, could possibly have to do with skin care, health and beauty products. The fact is, much of the research into life extension is resulting in new approaches to skin care as a kind of by-product.

A greater understanding of how genetics and cellular processes affect the aging and condition of skin allows these research and development teams to investigate different compounds, their compatibility with human cells and genetic make up.

Many compounds found in nature are not just compatible to human skin but in fact the skin cells actually have natural receptors for these compounds. Because life extension research has discovered these receptors, skin care developers can now use this knowledge and create the formulae for their products to provide maximum effect.

Another skin care ‘by-product’ of life extension research is the use of nanotechnology. The use of nanotechnology, or, to be more precise, nanoparticles, has had a huge impact on the way nutrients and other components of skin care products are being delivered to the skin cells. In some ways, nanotechnology has already revolutionized skin care. It is now possible to use active ingredients previously difficult to effectively deliver to the skin, as well as making old, proven ingredients even more effective. Some ingredients used in cosmetics for hundreds, if not thousands of years by certain cultures can now be even more effectively used to improve skin condition and maintain a healthy, youthful look.

Even the moisturizing effect of skin care products can be improved with nantechnology. For this effect, so-called nanosomes are used. Nanosomes are small, pocket-like particles that melt or disintegrate on skin contact. By doing this, the moisturising effect is accelerated, assisting the skin faster and more efficiently.

Nanotechnology plays a key part not only in slowing the aging of skin, but is believed to actively assist in repairing and healing skin cells and tissue.

Another breakthrough in life extension research that is beginning to make itself felt in skin care products is the research into stem cells. Stem cells are elements of all life, plant, animal and human. Stem cells have two properties other cells do not have. These properties are the ability to develop into any kind of cell type and the ability to divide almost indefinitely. The use of plant stem cell extracts in skin care is likely to become one of the next ‘big things’ in the industry. And prepare for the debate when human stem cells are proposed as part of an anti-aging skincare regime, as will inevitably occur!

One thing we can be certain of, is that science will continue to search for answers to the question of life extension, and business will drive the commercialization of discoveries. But whether these lead us to a utopian future or potentially a minefield of strife as we debate who will use and who will benefit from these new godlike powers. In the meantime, at a practical level in the skincare, health and beauty industry we remain hopeful and expectant we will see the emergence of products that not only promise results, but produce them.

David Christensen is a veteran of Asia Pacific business, currently residing in Bangkok, Thailand and heading up the business he was a co-founder of, Royal Siam Natural Health & Beauty – who can be located at [http://www.royalsiam.asia], and the information supporting site at [http://www.royalsiam.info]. Royal Siam was established after careful planning in early 2011, spending 2011 concentrating on building the necessary business infrastructure and concentrating on the domestic Thai market. Early in 2012 Royal Siam launched its international website and online store, and in April 2012 publicly declared the ambition to be among the world’s top 20 premium health and beauty brands by the year 2020. Royal Siam is a unique business, operating in the premium skincare, anti aging, and related fields. At its core, one mission is to commercialize and bring to a global market the immense wealth of knowledge about the healing and beneficial properties of Thai and South East Asian plants – a knowledge base carefully built up over the last thousand years. At the same time, the mission is to bring to market the very latest in scientific advances in the area of anti aging… resulting in the unique position of having a Thai heritage and offering the best of nature, tradition, and science.

July 4, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on The Facts When Should One Begin an Anti Aging Routine To Keep Good Looking In Your Older AgeFiled under: General

The beginning stages of aging are very important because prevention is really a much better method for coping with aging skin than treating the skin when the signs of aging have already appeared. The fact is that, all of us are without exception are subject to aging. And skin at different stages of aging need different attention that providing age-specific anti-aging care. However, most people have the wrong impression that we should deal with our skin about anti aging when we reaches older! The question now is when shall we begin our routine to counteract the earliest stages of aging skin? The answer is as earlier as in your mid 20s!

Aging begin as soon as adulthood is reached. Physically, early (20 to 39 years old) and middle adulthood (40 to 59 years old) are marked by slow, gradual declines in body functioning, which accelerate as late adulthood (60 and above of age) is reached. The mass of muscle will continue to boost through till mid 20s, thereafter gradually decreasing. Each stage experiences its own specific type of breakdown of protein and collagen and other building blocks that keep your skin looking youthful and glowing.

During the early adulthood, the production of collagen start slowing down and the regeneration of new cells diminishes slightly. Inside your skin along with other parts of your bodies, cells are constantly dying and rejuvenating and the new cells are pristine and strong and it shows on your faces. This process is part of youth and aging, once you reach mid 20s, the process of generation slows down. This is hardly noticeable on the outside of the skin but this is when aging actually begin to happen.

In the middle adulthood, aging starts happening under your skin from the ages of 40. But it can be started as earlier as from 35 depends on how you taking care of your skin, practices healthy diet and lifestyle. During this stage, you will begin to show fine lines around your eyes and outside the mouth area. The color of the skin becomes more pale or dull and loses its youthful glow. Then you begin to lose collagen and amino acids which natural bonding substance in your body that keep your skin plump and puffy. This is the stage where wrinkles start to take underlying on your face.

As in the late adulthood, the human growth hormone is depleted and aging starts to speed up. If you have not used repairing products like anti aging serum, then all of the damaging activities occurring beneath your skin continues but they will accelerate and the consequences will probably be a lot worse than one who used good skin care products, implemented healthy diet and lifestyle routine. Without the aid of good anti aging wrinkle products that help to prevent, restore, protect and rejuvenate, your wrinkles will go deeper and age spots will show up. The building blocks beneath your skin have broken down so you start experience an intense loss of plumpness and resilience.

Therefore, in early stage of adulthood especially you reach mid 20s, a good skin care product series, avoid too much sun light exposure, keep your body hydrated plus eat antioxidants rich foods would definitely make you look much younger and glow in your older age. The start of uses a good anti aging serum that with ingredients such as antioxidants, Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) and retinols in addition to your moisturizer cream is highly recommended when reaches your middle adulthood to keep your skin restore and rejuvenate. When come to late adulthood, series of high quality anti aging products that include serum, face cream and eye cream is surely as much needed at this time. But it never too late to improve the look of your skin no matter what age you in!

Keng Chan is an anti aging practitioner with more than 10 years of experiences. Frequently research of information, finding interesting tips and solutions for anti aging which helped him look more than 10 years younger than his age! He surprised all of the new friends he met!

June 26, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on How to Choose the Best Anti Aging Cream?Filed under: General

As we become old, the skin renews itself much more slowly than when you are young because the production of collagen, natural proteins that provide the firmness of the skin begin to fall, causing dehydration of the skin and wrinkles.

When you reach 30/40 years, a regular moisturizer will not be enough for your skin, you should start using anti-wrinkle cream (anti-aging) to slow the signs of aging.

Fortunately, there are now a range of anti-aging products designed for every skin type, for all ages and for different needs.

– Gives a brightness and youthful glow to the skin
– Eliminate and reduce wrinkles
– Strengthen and firm the skin
– Reduces the appearance of fine lines
– Check and neutralize free radicals
– Moisturize and nourish the skin
– Rejuvenate and firm the skin
– Stimulates the production of collagen and elastin
– Harmonize the pigmentation of the skin
– Stimulates cellular activity and firm the skin
– Prevent the appearance of new wrinkles
– Helps rebuild the skin texture
– Redefine the skin of the cheeks and neck
– Helps repair signs of loosening around the neck and chin
– Renouvelent the elasticity of the skin by stimulating its natural healing processes
– Satisfies wrinkles

How do anti-aging creams?

Most anti-aging products contain retinol, collagen, alpha hydroxy acid, minerals and vitamins. These elements are known for their power to stop the signs of aging and reduce wrinkles and fine lines.

Once the anti-aging cream is applied to the skin, the components therein inhibit muscle movement and to reduce wrinkles and prevent their further training.

Substances penetrate the outer layer of the skin and repair. They also stimulate the production of collagen and elastin in the skin.

Other wrinkle operate by separating the upper layer of the skin, allowing healthy new cells of the skin to appear (that are generally products containing alpha-hydroxy acids).

You should know that all anti-aging products can remove wrinkles or fine lines after the first few days of use.These products gradually smooth your skin and the results are usually seen after a month or two.

How to choose the best anti-aging cream for the face to you?

Today, anti-aging creams are specially designed for specific skin problems: some creams treat crow’s feet, dark circles around the eyes and fine lines around the mouth, others are designed to revitalize the skin, reducing the depth of wrinkles and firm the neck.

There are even anti-aging creams for the hands, neck and neckline.

There are anti-wrinkle products for each skin type: for those who are fat, dry or sensitive.

One of the most important rules when choosing the best anti-aging product for your skin is to look at the components of the product.

It is essential to choose an anti-aging cream that suits your skin type and needs.

If your skin has a lot of wrinkles around the eyes, you should consider buying an anti-aging cream for the eyes that treats crow’s feet and dark circles around the eyes.

During the selection of anti-aging cream make sure it is not too hard or very greasy as it can clog pores and cause a problem if it is left on overnight.

It is essential to choose a product that offers good sun protection (SPF of at least 15 or more) to protect your skin from harmful sun rays that cause premature aging of the skin.

Today, most anti-aging creams available and contain antioxidants that neutralize free radicals associated with excessive exposure to the sun can cause serious skin problems.

Common components of anti-aging creams

Retinol (vitamin A)

Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals that cause premature aging usually (Free radicals break down skin cells and collagen in the skin).

Retinol is also known as vitamin A, retinoic acid and retinoid.

Vitamin A is probably the most component used in anti-aging creams, serums and toners. It reduces wrinkles, fine lines and discoloration of the skin and stimulates collagen production. Vitamin A is also known for its ability to tighten pores and minimize sun damage.

Retinol is widely used to treat severe acne and rosacea.

The kinetin

The Kénitine a natural component that helps the skin retain natural moisture and stimulates collagen production.

It is a powerful antioxidant that can also fight against uneven pigmentation. It restores the function of the natural moisture of the skin, helps to preserve and soften the skin without side effects and provides protection for the skin against free radical damage.

Α-hydroxy acids (AHA or)

AHAs are widely used in the cosmetic industry because they remove the top layer of dead skin cells and stimulate the growth of healthy new cells.

Α-hydroxy acids work come exfoliating agents, they have a cooling effect on the skin and improve its overall appearance.

Α-hydroxy acids generally used include: glycolic acid, lactic acid and salicylic acid.
Α-hydroxy acids act as deep into the dermis and stimulate the production of collagen and elastin fibers which are essential for healthy skin.

You should know that all types of α-hydroxy acids increase susceptibility to the harmful effects of the sun and it is essential to use sunscreen daily to avoid sun damage.

Α-hydroxy acids are present in a variety of products including skin care moisturizers, cleansers, eye cream, sunscreen, and foundation.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is a fat-soluble vitamin-like substance found in every human cell and that neutralizes free radicals (acts as an antioxidant) and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. It prevents sun damage and skin discolorations.

Coenzyme Q10 is commonly used in anti-wrinkle creams and serums because it prevents damage to collagen and elastin production process and help prevent fine lines and wrinkles.

Copper peptides

Copper peptides are widely used in anti-aging creams, because they stimulate the production of collagen.Copper peptides also enhance the action of antioxidants and enhance wound healing.

Copper peptides are effective against various forms of skin irritation, mainly because of their anti-inflammatory effects. Copper peptides also stimulate the formation of elastin and reduce sagging and wrinkles.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that helps reduce the appearance and depth of wrinkles. It stimulates cellular renewal of the skin.

There are different forms of vitamin A: retinol, retinyl palmitate and retinyl linoleate. Lack of vitamin A can cause dryness and hardening of the skin.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant with a brightening effect of the skin.

It is a common component in products skin care as well as makeup products because it gives the skin a youthful and stimulates blood circulation.

Vitamin C also keeps the skin elastic and prevents premature aging of the latter.

When combined with vitamin E reduces the signs of aging: wrinkles, fine lines, brown spots and age spots.

Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E provides natural protection against harmful UV rays.

Vitamin E creates a moisture barrier and prevents the discoloration of the skin. It helps the skin to repair itself.

Antioxidants

The most common are vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and prevent premature aging of the skin.

The tea extracts act as antioxidants in the fight against free radicals. They have anti-inflammatory properties and help in repairing skin damage.

Retinoids

Retinoids are chemical compounds that are chemically related to vitamin A. They make the skin thinner and smoother and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Retinoids are widely used in the treatment of many diseases and are effective in treating a number of skin conditions such as inflammatory disorders of the skin, cancer, skin disorders in cell renewal and aging.

Topical retinoids are also effective treatments for mild acne and severe.

It takes about 3 months for the skin acclimates to a retinoid.

Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is a component of connective tissue whose function is to cushion and lubricate the skin.

It is found naturally in the skin, its function is to hold water.

Useful tips related to the use of anti-aging creams

– Apply your anti-aging cream with upward strokes from the throat to the front.
– Do not forget: you may need to use an anti-wrinkle for several weeks before you notice improvement.
– Ask for samples before buying a face cream to see if it works for you.
– Try to use a facial cleanser with glycolic acid.
– Exfoliate your skin regularly (at least twice per week) with a gentle exfoliant to remove dead skin cells and accelerate cell renewal.
– Always use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 to protect your skin against the sun’s harmful rays that cause premature aging of the skin and causes discoloration.
– Consult a dermatologist or esthetician to give you the product that best suits you.
– It is essential to get a good amount of sleep each night.
– Try to use a wrinkle cream that contains more natural ingredients, vitamins, essential oils, aloe vera and natural emollients.
– You can put on your sunscreen cream.
– Choose makeup: foundation, concealers, lipsticks, lip glosses that offer sun protection.
– It is essential to follow a strict regimen of skin care every day to keep your skin clear and healthy.
– Always remove your makeup at night with a mild cleanser that suits your skin type.
– Use masks or face firming moisturizer twice to keep your skin radiant mature.
– Drink plenty of mineral water at least 1.5 liters a day to keep your body and skin hydrated.
– Perhaps now is the perfect time to quit smoking: Smoking seriously harms health and damages the skin by destroying collagen and elastin.
– Compare different wrinkle creams and find out what works best for you.

For more information about wrinkles and anti-aging creams visit my blog Best Cream for Wrinkles.

Everyone is affected with signs of aging at some point in their life, be it visible wrinkles, blemishes, pigmentation changes, expression lines, discolorations, poor texture, or other environment-related conditions of the skin. As we age, the production of skin reviving and plumping collagen gradually slows, revealing fine lines and wrinkles.

Anti-aging creams promise to reduce these signs of aging. Yet, despite the ever-rising demand and great popularity, there has been skepticism and anxiety related to anti-wrinkle creams. Many believe that anti-aging creams are but fads, and do not work at all. Debates still continue whether anti-aging creams are cosmetics or drugs. Many argue that most of the anti-aging creams only enhance the outward appearance of the skin and only temporarily at that; and therefore should be placed on equal footings with other cosmetics.

So the promises of younger, fresher looking skin are nothing but lies? No. Fortunately for wrinkle-cream customers, that’s not always so. Granted, in most scenarios, wrinkle creams only offer what can already be achieved through the use of moisturizers and sunscreens. But with a little knowledge of active ingredients used nowadays in certain anti-aging creams, the promises may as well be fulfilled.

Anti-aging creams come under the category of “cosmeceuticals”, mixture of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals; which means they are cosmetic products containing certain biologically active ingredients claiming to give medical or drug-like effect. With ample scientific research and knowledge collected thus, researchers HAVE found out such ingredients which are almost just as effective and relatively inexpensive compared to medical cosmetic procedures.

Active Anti-aging Ingredients:

Most people usually stick to buying cosmetic products of their favorite brands. But to actually gain satisfactory results from anti-aging creams, you’ll have to go an extra mile and start with researching products containing active ingredients which really work on aging skin.

Retinoid:

The active ingredient in Retin-A is tretinoin. The chemical is the only one till date to achieve FDA approval ratings for anti-aging as well as anti-sun damage properties. Retinoid prevents the loss of collagen from skin due to excessive exposure and consequent photo-damage.

In anti-aging creams, retinoid-derivatives in the form of retinol and retinyl palmitate (combination of pure retinol and cleansing agent palmitic acid) are used. However, these must be present at a sufficiently high concentration of 0.04% to 0.07% to be effective. Customers should also take care to note the expiry date of the product, since products containing retinoid tend to expire after a month or so post opening.

Side effects may include mild irritation and redness. Customers with sensitive skin should use a much lower concentration of retinol (approx. 0.025%). It is also advisable to avoid the use of products containing retinoid during pregnancy or breast feeding period, since it is a Vitamin A derivative which is associated with birth defects.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs):

Various alpha and beta hydroxy acids are already popular ingredients in various cosmetic products like cleansers, moisturizers, toners, etc. Two most popular AHAs are lactic acid and glycolic acid, known for their ability to efficiently penetrate skin.

AHAs have superb exfoliation properties helping in removal of dead skin cells and growth of new ones. Effectiveness of anti-wrinkle creams containing AHAs depends upon concentration (5% to 8% are sufficient) and frequency of application.

AHAs can increase sun-sensitivity by almost 50%, therefore an effective sunscreen providing UVA and UVB protection is an FDA requisite in final product formulation. Irritation, redness and possible scarring can also occur as side effects. Some people tend to be allergic to certain hydroxy acids. Therefore it’s best to consult a physician before trying a product with an AHA mentioned in ingredients.

Peptides:

Peptides are short-chained proteins which occur naturally in the skin, mainly acting as messengers (in the form of signal peptides) or hormones. They are well known for their natural skin-healing benefits. Peptides such as oligopeptides work as collagen boosters, while Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 and Tripeptide-1 stimulate the skin for synthesizing collagen of types I and III, and simultaneously decreasing enzyme production to protect collagen and elastin integrity. Pentapeptide-18 and Acetyl hexapeptide-8 (Argireline) are peptides that are known to tighten the skin, thereby reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

There are minimal side-effects related to use of peptides for anti-aging treatment. Not only they help against wrinkles, they also increase skin’s moisture retaining ability, elasticity, and resilience.

Anti-oxidants:

Anti-oxidants are substances that are known to protect the body from damage caused by free radicals-unstable molecules that damage cell membranes, proteins, lipids, and DNA. Free radicals are also one of the major causes of premature aging. Anti-oxidants are already popular for their extraordinary health benefits, and their use in anti-aging products is relatively new yet promising.

Green tea, rosemary, grapes, and tomatoes contain the most effective anti-oxidants and products containing extracts of same can give visible satisfactory results with regular application. A 10% concentration of green tea extract in a given product is especially effective for fighting aging.

It should be noted that although anti-oxidants can be used in diet and applied topically, the effectiveness of an anti-oxidant diet for anti-aging is somewhat debatable. Also, most anti-oxidants will only help in prevention of wrinkles, and may not work to remove those which already exist.

Sunscreens:

Excess exposure to sun leaves visible skin prone to aging effects of UVA and UVB rays. Increased levels of exposure can cause wrinkling, discoloration, formation of freckles and dark spots, damaging of elastin and collagen, skin cancer, as well as DNA mutations. Yes, those 2 minutes you saved by opting out sunscreen application will take its heavy toll.

Sunscreens and sunblocks are applied topically in various forms to prevent such skin related hazards. Following the age old adage of “prevention is better than cure”, sunscreen application substantially reduces chances of photo aging.

Nowadays, sunscreens with active anti-aging ingredients are on rise. These will not only prevent photo aging, but will also treat existing signs of aging. The most effective ones contain tretinoin, the efficacy of which has been already discussed in the Retinoid section as a miracle chemical with proven anti-aging as well as anti-sun damage properties. Other anti-aging sunscreens contain anti-oxidants in the form of minerals.

Vitamin C:

Vitamin C is one of the most widely used skin-care ingredient, given its astounding skin healing properties. It skin rejuvenation and anti-wrinkle properties have been scientifically proved: It is essential for synthesis of collagen in skin, thus curing wrinkles and fine lines; and it is a well-known anti-oxidant, capable of preventing skin-damage due to free radicals.

Vitamin C on its own is rather tricky, since it oxidizes instantly and may cause more harm than good when used topically. To overcome this barrier, anti-aging creams use the vitamin’s more stable and effective derivatives like magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palmitate, etc.

Vitamin C taken in dietary form is good for health, but provides insubstantial anti-aging benefits for skin, since higher concentrations for anti-wrinkle properties are required than those available to skin through vitamin rich diet.

Anti-aging creams do work, wonderfully. The effects of a given anti-aging product will depend upon active ingredients in its formulation, their respective concentrations, and frequency and regularity of application. Also keep in mind that many of the active ingredients listed above work best in ‘synergy’, i.e. combined form, than by themselves. For instance, AHAs sun-sensitivity factor can be negated by adding sunscreen in its formulation, and a sunscreen with retinoid will work wonders on wrinkle-ridden skin.

For more information about anti wrinkle creams please visit: [http://www.antiwrinklecreamsblog.com/]

June 12, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on Mature Age Job Seekers – Beating the BiasFiled under: General

Australian business is starting to see the light when it comes to their hiring policies for mature aged employees, and the positive impact they can have on the workplace. A brief visit to main street shopping centre and you will begin to see a few more weathered faces at work than you would have seen a few years ago.

However, if you scratch below the surface, you begin to see this trend still has a long way to play out. A few older workers get hired into the senior ranks where experience and maturity are greatly valued, more older workers are now being hired at the lower end of the corporate scale into unskilled roles, however the numbers being hired into the mid tier ranks remains low.

This barbell approach to hiring mature workers at the top and bottom of an organisation reflects an ongoing bias that remains difficult to overcome. A company is a microcosm of society, and in a perfect world employers should (within reason) seek diversity in the workplace and value skill, experience and aptitude, regardless of age, race or gender.

Unfortunately, we live in a far from perfect world. When it comes to mature aged workers they tend to be penalised on two fronts. Often the first to be made redundant in uncertain economic times, this setback is then compounded when they are regularly overlooked for someone younger as they begin searching for a new job.

As a result of these two biases towards mature aged job seekers, once out of work, the journey back can often be long and arduous. This is reflected in RBA statistics which indicate long-term unemployment at approximately 40% for those aged 45-64, compared to about 25% for those aged between 25 and 44.

So what are the reasons employers provide for not hiring mature aged workers? Typically, reasons include being overqualified or over-experienced. Taken at face value being overqualified or experienced might not seem so bad, but when you hear the same reason trotted out time and again, it becomes less palatable.

Openly negative feedback from employers tend to include perceptions that mature aged workers are not as IT savvy, do not possess the latest skills, or are not as flexible as their younger counterparts. While these reasons may hold true in many instances, many of the older job seekers I speak to, believe these are often used as convenient excuses to exclude them.

Employer feedback that you are not likely to hear include concerns about health (and subsequent cost) or worse insecurity. There are many poor managers in the workplace that may be intimidated by the experience a mature applicant brings to the role. Rather than leveraging the knowledge and experience an older worker can bring to the workplace, the insecure hirer is concerned about the potential competition, and the presence of someone who may know more than they do.

Dealing with many of these preconceived concerns and fears remains an ongoing challenge for the mature aged job seeker. Perhaps the following facts should be mandatory reading for hiring managers. These facts debunk many of the concerns and myths that persist in the workplace relating to mature aged workers;

Mature aged workers can deliver cost savings to employers through increased retention rates. For example, workers over 55 are five times less likely to change jobs compared to workers aged 20-24, reducing both recruitment and training costs. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006)Labour Mobility Survey,

Mature workers can deliver an average net benefit of $1956 per year to their employer compared to other workers due to high retention rates, lower rates of absenteeism, decreased recruitment costs and greater return on investment.Business, Work and Ageing (2000) Profiting from Maturity: The Social and Economic Costs of Mature Age Unemployment

Australians are living longer and are healthier.2005 ABS survey found the proportion of Australians aged 55-64 reporting their health as ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ was 75.5% – an increase of four per cent since 1995. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2006) National Health Survey: Summary of Results, 2004-05

Mature workers were the least likely group to take days off due to their own illness or as a carer. In the two week period prior to the survey nearly half the number of mature workers had days off compared to workers aged 25-34. ibid

ABS data shows that Australians aged 55-64 are the fastest growing users of information technology. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2005) Year Book Australia,

Australian Health Management which examined the daily work habits of 4000 employees found that workers aged 55 years and over performed at their best for approximately seven hours out of an eight-hour day-an achievement that other workers in the study were unable to match. Australian Health Management (2006), Baby boomers give employers a bang for their buck

While government has been doing its part to address mature aged unemployment through initiatives like DEEWR Experience+, the introduction of the Age Discrimination Act (2004) and appointment of an Age Discrimination Commissioner, it remains imperative that older job seekers directly address some of these age bias issues themselves if they are to enhance their prospects for employment.

Following are some helpful hints that mature aged workers can utilise to make themselves more appealing to employers and thus improve their chances of a speedy return to the workforce;

Government or Community Assistance– Take advantage of government or community based initiatives and assistance. There is a considerable amount of free information and assistance available, and I would strongly recommend looking into these resources. For example, the DEEWR “Experience+” initiative provides free career planning and advice for over 45’s until June 2016, along with an Assistance Program delivering refresher and basic training in IT and social media applications.

Value Proposition– Whether writing your resume or cover letter, or sitting in an interview, ensure the focus of discussion clearly remains on the value that you can bring to an organisation. Discuss how you can help, what you have done in the past and what you can deliver going forward. Outline how your experience might bring special insights and perspectives that other candidates may not possess.

Training– Undertake relevant training or up-skilling. Keeping ‘up to date’ is critical if you expect serious consideration for any position, especially if there is a technical element. The benefit will be that an employer will see that you have not fallen behind and therefore will not require retraining, along with any associated cost.

Resume– You will need a properly structured and well written resume to be considered for most roles. Use an appropriate resume style that is tailored to your strengths, skills and experience. Also ensure primary focus of your resume is on the last 5-10 years (include older information where pertinent). Think about gettingassistance from a professional resume writer, whocan add significant value if you are looking to ‘get it right the first time’.

Age Bias – To counter potential impact of age bias, you will need to carefully address the following with any potential employer;

Health– Don’t hesitate to communicate your good health and fitness to potential employers at opportune moments. Inform them if you play sport, run, walk or go to the gym regularly. This should allay any potential concerns about health.

IT Savvy –Take every opportunity to indicate your IT capability. Whether it’s your ability to use specialised systems, the MS Office suite or even your use of Facebook or Twitter, this will highlight your ability to embrace new technology.

Adaptability – Highlight your adaptability in the workplace, providing actual examples where appropriate. If you don’t know something, indicate you are keen to learn (and not that you wouldn’t know where to start). Highlighting your adaptability will help to dispel concerns of rigidness and inflexibility.

Team Player –Communicating that you work well as part of a team is critical. It shows a willingness to take direction and work for the common good, and can present you as less threatening, especially if the hirer feels concerned by a mature more experienced candidate.

Be Positive –Though you need to be fully prepared to discuss negative issues, make every attempt to keep the discussion on a positive footing. Unless specifically requested, there is no need to volunteer information of a negative nature.

While industry is beginning to see the light when it comes to acceptance of mature aged workers, the pace of change remains slow. While providence is on the right side due to the ageing Australian population and the inevitable necessity to hire older workers, the fact remains that age discrimination is still entrenched in much current thinking.

As a result, dealing with age bias will continue to be a challenge for the foreseeable future. However with the combination of positive government policy, changing attitudes and a proactive attitude to making oneself more appealing to employers (as outlined above), the situation is not without promise.

Honing your individual approach and message will take time and effort. To strike the right balance the mature job seeker will need to walk a fine line between sounding experienced, but not old, adaptable, but not inflexible and appear keen, not desperate. There is no magic formula for success except practice, perseverance and occasionally seeking help where necessary.

A.J. Bond, is the proprietor of Absolute Resume Writing Services ( http://absoluteresume.com.au ), an Australian based consultancy specializing in the provision of Resume and Cover Letter writing services.

Absolute Resume assists a broad range of job seekers to find their preferred roles, including mature aged job seekers, individuals out of work for a period of time and those made redundant.

June 6, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on The Aging Process: Can It Be Reversed?Filed under: General

With regard to fitness, for many years, I have been outspoken about my support of sports and strength training as good alternatives to redundant exercises like treadmill workouts. Steve Holman, editor-in-chief of Iron Man Magazine, has taken that idea to the extreme with a new body shaping program designed to slow down and even reverse the aging process. But he’s not the only one interested in the concept of aging.

You may also be familiar with the Real Age Program, or with one of its founders, Dr. Mehmet Oz. Real Age asserts that your actual age is often not in synch with the biological condition of your body. Based on your level of conditioning and diet and other factors, your body may be aging at an accelerated rate. Real Age calculates your age based on your body’s condition and compares it your chronological age. The goal is to improve the body so its actual “real age” is at or below one’s biological age. To me, that is the basis for Holman’s approach: return the body to the youthful condition that it was in before declining fitness and other factors accelerated the aging process.

According to Steve Holman, after we reach the age of 40, our bodies start aging at a faster rate than they had to that point. Studies have shown that without the proper nutrients and exercise, our bodies are aging about 6 months extra for every year that passes! So, let’s say you’re 40. By the time you reach 50, you will look and feel 55. By the time you reach 60, you will look and feel 70 years old! I don’t know about you but that kind of aging does not appeal to me a whole lot.

Did you ever notice that the folks who stay the most physically active seem to be aging more slowly than others who don’t? In my mind, I picture a 63-year old woman gardening while her 65-year-old husband is chopping wood nearby and they both look like they’re in their 50s. Hmm… maybe that was a scene from a 1940s movie but I think it makes the point. They kept active with muscle taxing activities and no doubt felt and looked younger because of it. Steve Holman says that 90% of people over the age of 35 lose enough muscle every year to burn off an additional 4 pounds of body fat. The aging process really starts to catch up with us at that point. Muscle gives shape and strength to our bodies. As we know, when you lose muscle mass, you gain fat, even if the calories you take in stay the same. We don’t feel or look as good. Then we get depressed because we don’t feel and look as good. Then we give up on retaining our youth and it’s all downhill from there. Wow. That was depressing, huh?

Fear not! That doesn’t have to happen.

Both the folks at Real Age and Steve Holman insist that all of this accelerated aging is reversible. According to them, there are specific ways to move and eat that will slow down the rapid aging process to the point where you’re aging less than a year for every year. That means we can look younger in a few years than we do now? Now that is an aging plan we could get behind, right?

Not so fast. Are there drugs, supplements or expensive supplies to buy? No. Just food choices and targeted short-duration exercises are involved. Steve Holman says his years as a fitness magazine editor have allowed him to pick up tips, tricks and strategies from anti-aging experts over the years. And they don’t involve cycling classes or elliptical machines.

According to Steve, to get started, there are 5 rules one must absolutely follow if he or she wants to “slow the aging process, reclaim your health and achieve your ideal body”:

Forget low-fat diets. They lead to sugar addiction and we all know what that causes – fat storage!
Work out less. Resistance training done the right way burns fat and is a great cardiovascular workout, as well. Sports that tax muscles over the entire body can be effective, as well.
Drink water. Water renews your skin, helps burn fat, suppresses hunger and allows your kidneys to operate under less strain which allows your liver to burn fat like it’s supposed to.
Stop endless cardio workouts. Cardiovascular conditioning can be gained with far less time and effort. New studies are showing that long-duration exercise accelerate the aging process by increasing free radicals. These free radicals are scavengers that prey on your body’s essential nutrients and tissues.
Don’t blame your age for all your fitness issues. Studies have shown that men and women of every age, even those in their 90s, were able to gain muscle tone in just a matter of weeks of simple weight training.
Well, those are good guidelines to use to begin combating the aging process. There’s an old saying that goes something like, “I want to die as young as possible at as old an age as possible” (or something like that). I do follow the 5 steps already, though I would admit to not doing enough of #2. How about you? I have been told I look younger than I really am and that’s nice. Now if only I could reverse the aging process so I would feel younger…

Hi. This is Mike. As I mentioned, playing sports can give you a great full body workout and help reverse the aging process. If you are just getting started or getting restarted after a layoff, we can help you with information about supplies and equipment at our site: [http://www.roundballgames.com/sample-page]. Or read our blog @ [http://www.roundballgames.com]

May 29, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on How Old Are You Really? Biological AgeFiled under: General

People have always been interested in being “forever young” and today’s society is no different. We want to resist the ageing process.

The speed at which we are ageing can be measured – its called biological age, or how old your body really is.

The area of study which is now called longevity, and was once called anti aging, is hugely popular in the states.

It’s something I’m very interested in, and see it as a big part of the future for myself and my clients.

Your chronological age is how old you actually are.

Biological age is the age of your body at the cellular level.

Today we will look into how you can establish, what your biological age is and how you can improve it.

There are a few longevity factors in the list which surprised me!

(Deep question alert!)

What is the purpose of life? I don’t mean any deep seated stuff, like procreation.

I just mean, what is most people’s AIM in life. What do they want to get out of their time on earth?

Firstly and most importantly, people want to be happy. Easier said than done.

Happiness is a state of mind. It’s a feeling.

Ask someone with a big goal (like building a successful business or losing more than three stone).

“What will reaching your goal do for you?”

Often they will say something like “When I get there I will feel happy”, or “satisfied with myself”, or they say “I will feel proud”.

“I will have more energy”.

“I won’t be afraid of trying new clothes on or going out with friends”.

“I don’t want to feel like a slave to food”

“I don’t want to be scared to look in the mirror or get on the scales”.

Life is all about feelings.

People spend their entire lives in search of feelings! (mostly happiness, contentment, satisfaction and love)

How people actually reach this state of “happiness” is different for us all.

Most people I know AIM for a decent job (or business) with decent money.

All with the ultimate goal of having a good retirement.

I hear people say “When I finish work, I’m going to do this or I’m going to… (insert goal)”.

The point here being, if being happy and having a nice retirement is people’s main goal in life, then keeping your body fit and healthy surely must be part of your plan.

I know of a very wealthy man who got cancer and passed away just before his retirement, I’m sure that was not part of the master plan, he had built his business up so he could sell it and have a nice retirement (as most business people do).

He didn’t make it and didn’t get to “cash out”.

Many people don’t make it to retirement because their “plan” is messed up from the start.

Without sounding depressing we only get one shot remember.

This is NOT a rehearsal.

A lot of people get to retirement age and their body is wrecked!

This stops them from being able to enjoy their time off as much. Living life with lots of restrictions. “I can’t go there because of the steep hill”, or “I can’t do that because of my back or my knees”.

After working hard for 40-50 years – to give yourself a good pension and retirement, this is the last thing that anyone wants.

Peoples bodies are like cars.

On one hand you have new cars with high mileage that are not well serviced.

On the other hand you have old cars with low mileage that have been well looked after.

I want YOU to be like a well looked after old car, with low mileage when you get to your retirement.

I know some people, that slog away and get to the age of 40, and feel and look like they’re 50 or 60!

I also know many people who hit retirement age and feel like a 40 year old, and can keep on working and exercising for another 20 years!

This is all dependent on how we live our lives, obviously there are things such as injuries, diseases and other bad things which can impact our lives negatively through no fault of our own but on the whole we are in control of our own health.

What affects our longevity?

Scientists agree that these factors all affect your longevity in some way, big or small. (this is not a definitive list)

Muscle size and strength
Level of education
How pro active you are with going to see the doctor if needed
The amount of friends you can rely on, and love in your life
Your diet
Blood pressure
Your upper body strength
If you enjoy your work or not
Weather you smoke/drink alcohol or not, and the amount
If you exercise or not

Most of us shorten our lives and ultimately kill ourselves, through our bad habits and lifestyle choices, whatever they may be.

As you would of guessed, it is possible to slow down the onset of ageing and even reverse it to some extent.

I must say, that there is nothing wrong with ageing, it is inevitable. It is something we should be proud of, a chance to show our wisdom to the younger generation.

This article is just to show you how you can SLOW the ageing process with ease and actually enjoy it.

The Ageing Process

As we get older our bodies start to slow down and stop being able to function as well, sadly there is no getting away from this.

BUT through healthy living and making the right choices day in day out we can delay our body slowing down by years!

Just think how much more you will be able to enjoy your retirement if you feel like a 40 year old? and can spend it with the people you love.

Compare this to how much you will enjoy it if you can barely walk up a flight of stairs without having tired legs and being short of breath.

Your chronological age doesn’t have to be the same, or worse, than your physiological age.

How to slow the effects of ageing

The list above obviously helps you but here are a few more ideas for you to beat the clock.

When some people think anti aging, I’m sure some of you may think of things like anti wrinkle creams and lotions, hair dying products, botox and maybe even plastic surgery.

That does kind of sum up some of the western world that these are the steps that the majority of people (plastic surgery being an extreme example) will take to make them look younger, rather than eating healthily and exercising.

Aging leads to loss of muscle mass, loss of mental function, low mobility and a lack of energy, and as you know the cosmetic type anti aging steps I mentioned won’t help any of these.

Top tips to delay ageing naturally:

Enjoy the Outdoors – Don’t spend all of your time cooped up indoors behind the computer or watching TV. There are plenty of things to do and see outside, especially on a nice day I can’t think of anything better than going for a walk with the family down the park or beach. Sunlight also is a natural source of Vitamin D.

Yoga & Meditation – I would say that this is one of the most important strategies in staying young. I started to do this myself and it honestly makes me feel great. Yoga and meditation can help you relax and lower your stress levels (linked with aging) dramatically. It can also help you to see things a lot clearer.

Yoga is also great for your flexibility, the more flexible and supple you are the less chance you have in the future of suffering falls and lack of mobility.

Socialise – Loneliness can be a real killer. Socialise as much as possible with your friends and family. Get out there and do things, go to the cinema, concerts, attend an evening class (the more mentally stimulating the better).

Stay Strong & Active – You have to keep moving or your body will come to a standstill. Taking part in regular exercise is absolutely vital. Regular strength training is extremely important.

Losing muscle mass is something you want to avoid or at least delay for as long as possible so strength training will help this as well as keeping your bones strong, this will lower your chances of osteoporosis.

Nutrition

I believe food is medicine, many of the effects you get from modern day medicine you can get from eating the right foods.

If you spend your whole life eating fresh, natural whole foods and stay active then it will also show. You will most likely be lean, mobile, disease free and full of energy, a rarity these days.

You should aim to eat a diet containing lots of quality fats and protein’s (the bodies building materials) which will help you to maintain your muscle stores. Also protein boosts the production of HGH in your body, HGH (Human growth Hormone) is your body’s natural ‘fountain of youth’.

As you age the production of this hormone slows down greatly, regular strength exercise (lifting, pushing and pulling heavy stuff) and quality protein keeps the production of this hormone going!

Eat plenty of antioxidant rich foods – Antioxidants which are found in colourful fruit and vegetables help to reduce the damage caused by free radicals in your system.

Free radicals can speed up the onset of ageing; they are unstable electrons (O1 molecules)which are produced during metabolism. They damage the cell nucleus and the mitochondria.

Free radicals bounce around inside your cells like a pin ball, causing damage every time they hit something. They cause absolute havoc.

Antioxidants provide the free radical with the extra O1 molecule they need to become stable O2 molecules.

Good quality natural foods are the best way to combat these harmful free radicals. Natural organic foods are packed with antioxidants which neutralise the free radicals before they cause too much damage.

Eat Omega 3s – They fight inflammation, improve the appearance of your skin and aid brain function. Three vital things that we need as we age. So make sure you get as many omega 3s into your system as you can, the best source is fresh fish, if not a fish oil supplement will do.

Lower Sugar Intake – Aim to cut out any excess sugar that you eat, excess sugars can modify essential proteins in our body which can lead to wrinkles and energy loss.

Look after your skin through good food and lots of water – Eating foods containing vitamin A (sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach, asparagus and carrots), Vitamin C (red peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, oranges, kiwi and pineapple) and Vitamin E (nuts, seeds and spinach) are a great way of helping your skin look healthy.

Stop smoking and limit alcohol intake – There are few things that age you faster than smoking and drinking alcohol every day so cut out smoking and do as much as you can to drink less.

Lower Stress Levels – This is another big one, I just mentioned that there are few things that age you faster than smoking and alcohol; well I think stress is one of them.

Being constantly stressed will ruin your mood, energy levels, social interaction as well as causing so many health problems.

As I mentioned above, I have found deep breathing techniques, yoga and meditation really important and a great way of combating stress.

Let’s be realistic the big medical and health companies aren’t going to promote anti aging through the things I just said, they are going to promote it through new miracle pills, lotions and creams, there is a lot of money to be made from it so they will keep on doing it.

The people who buy these products don’t have to alter their lifestyle one little bit so it suits them which is why it is so popular.

We ultimately reap our rewards in our retirement, if you have invested some time and effort into your “health & fitness account”, you will reap the rewards.

If you haven’t then you won’t!

You can actually measure your biological age online with a biological age calculator.

If all of the things I have mentioned above didn’t require effort or commitment then everyone would be running around into their 90s and later!!

But unfortunately we don’t, we die much younger than that.

Depending on what stats you use, in 2010, UK men were reported to live on average until about 77 or 78, and women on average live until 82 or 83 years old.

Do it naturally and do it right.

Let me know your thoughts on this topic, comment below, I really want to know what you think.

Thanks for reading, take care,

Richard

If you would like to receive weekly health and fitness updates on the top news in the industry along with several free gifts then follow this link: http://richard-clarke.co.uk/

Just enter your email address in the box on the right to receive a free 3 Day Detox Plan, an Easy Weight Loss Diet Sheet plus some free, easy to do, exercise routines.

There are also many easy to read helpful articles and information which can inspire you to reach your fitness and exercise goals FASTER!

There are actions you can, and should take today to dramatically improve your health, your appearance and your longevity. You can control 70% of the factors affecting your longevity; only 30% are controlled by genetics until very late in life when genetics become more controlling

Almost all of the effects of aging and the common diseases that come with aging are treatable, to at least some extent. The key is early detection and early treatment.

Our understanding of the aging process is advancing rapidly. Some scientists believe that the first immortal human may be living today.

In 1786, life expectancy was 24 years. Better diets and some medical innovations allowed it to double to 48 years in the next 100 years.

Modern medicine has now increased life expectancy to over 76 years. Future medicine promises to increase it to over 100 years during our lifetime.

“Over half the baby boomers here in America are going to see their hundredth birthday and beyond in excellent health.” says Dr. Ronald Klatz of the American Academy of Anti-Aging. “We’re looking at life spans for the baby boomers and the generation after the baby boomers of 120 to 150 years of age.”

The key to Live Healthy – Look Marvelous – Live Longer is to delay the diseases of aging so that when they do occur, it is very late in your life.

The causes of aging are finally being understood. There are actions you can take today to take advantage of the recent medical developments. Dr. Rudman ran a series of tests on aging people and demonstrated that the effects of aging could be slowed and even reversed. He concluded: “The overall deterioration of the body that comes with growing old is not inevitable.”

The Causes of Aging

Almost all life on earth blossoms with youth, until it has reproduced and passed its genes on to the next generation. After that, the flowers wilt and die, and we humans began to age. Yes, we begin to age while we are still in our 20’s.

We age because the products of our metabolism, I.e., the “ashes” from the oxidation processes that produce energy in our cells, accumulate faster then our endocrine system can remove them. This is because most of the cleansing hormones that surged through our youthful bodies begin to decrease as we begin to age. Some of these more critical hormones have decreased by about 10 to 30% as we enter our 30’s. The decreases become ever more dramatic as we enter successive decades of life. Most of our hormones have decreased by over 50% and some have been reduced to near zero as we enter our 70’s. So we age. Our muscles and bones weaken; our reaction time slows; we lose our agility; all combine to make us more susceptible to accidents. Our immune system weakens and makes us more susceptible to disease. And we die.

The Death Clock

Dr. Hayflick has shown that we have another cause of aging. He has shown that we have a built-in death date of about 120 years, if diseases or accidents do not get us earlier. The point at which our cells have divided a fixed number of times sets this death date. It has been termed the “Hayflick limit.”

Our cells divide to produce new cells to replace the old cells damaged by metabolic ash build-up, free radicals, toxins, and other wear and tear mechanisms. As the cells divide, the chromosomes split to provide chromosomes for the new cells. When the chromosomes split, they lose part of their telomeres – the genes at their ends that keep the chromosomes organized. After a certain number of splits, the telomeres wear away and become too short to keep the chromosome organized and therefore the cell dies without being able to replace itself.

You can think of telomeres as analogous to the plastic bands on the ends of shoelaces. Telomeres hold the important DNA code intact, preventing it from fraying as the molecules replicate over time.

Resetting the Death Clock

But tests over the past few years have shown that the “Hayflick limit” can be extended by the use of an enzyme that causes the “organizing genes” at the ends of the chromosomes (the telomeres) to re-grow. This enzyme is called telomerase.

Telomerase treatments on human cells in the laboratory have indicated that telomerase can make human cells immortal. Doctors and researchers involved in these treatments are reporting that it is their belief that death is not inevitable.

Telomerase is actually an enzyme (a catalytic protein) that is able to arrest or reverse the telomere shortening process. The body produces telomerase when we are embryos in the womb to accommodate the very rapid growth of the embryo. But, unfortunately our bodies do not produce telomerase after birth except possibly for the creation of sperm.

So for humans to extend life we must do two things: first, eliminate the oxidants and toxins in our foods and environment; and find a dietary or pharmaceutical method for increasing and preserving the length of our cells’ telomeres.

Promising Anti-Aging Research

There are many ongoing projects that promise to solve our problems of aging. One is from a team of South Korean scientists. They report that they have created a newly-synthesized molecule, named CGK733 that can make cells younger.

“All cells face an inevitable death as they age. On this path, cells became lethargic and in the end stop dividing but we witnessed that CGK733 can block the process,” Prof. Kim Tae-kook reported. He further stated: “We also found the synthetic compound can reverse aging, by revitalizing already-lethargic cells. Theoretically, this can give youth to the elderly via rejuvenating cells.”

Kim expects that the CGK733-empowered drugs that keep cells youthful far beyond their normal life span would be commercialized in less than 10 years.

Researchers at The Wistar Institute have defined a key target of an evolutionarily conserved protein that regulates the process of aging. The study provides fundamental knowledge about key mechanisms of aging that could point toward new anti-aging strategies and cancer therapies.

Aging saps our strength and ability to enjoy life, cripples us, and eventually kills us. Tens of millions die from age-related conditions each and every year. Comparatively few people know that degenerative aging can be slowed with diet and lifestyle choices, medicines and nutracuetials.

Comparatively few people are aware of the many serious scientific efforts, presently underway, aimed at understanding and intervening in the aging process – in order to one day reverse its effects.

Your objective should be to have a healthy life and continue to live long enough to take advantage of all the medical advances and technologies now in development.

Our health is determined by our genetics, our diets, and our past and current lifestyles. You can now optimize your current and future health by defining and taking medications, vitamins, and other supplements and treatments tailored to your specific health needs. The program to do this recognizes the validity of three basic themes:

The Future of Medicine is in Personal Tailoring

Preventative Medicine is Key

Aging is a Treatable Disease.

Your Anti-Aging Longevity Plan

It is strongly recommended that you get familiar with the latest anti-aging information and develop your personal Longevity Plan. The key to longer life is to detect any health issues as early as possible and take advantage of the available technology to address them. Time really is of the essence.

As you age, different processes in your skin change its appearance, activity and structure. The aging skin has reduced cellular activity, less collagen production, lowered epidermal turn over and damage accumulation as a result of free radicals from UV exposure. All these changes contribute to the aging process and leave you with apparent signs of aging such as wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots. They come about because the skin loses moisture and elasticity from all the aging changes. Using anti-aging cream can help fight the signs because a good cream reduces the wrinkles by improving skin elasticity and also offers deep skin renewal and cellular rejuvenation by enhancing collagen production.

Causes of premature skin aging

What most people don’t know is that the aging process can actually be slowed by living healthy lifestyles. This way, you won’t have to start using anti-aging products until much later in life. When you take good care of the skin, you will prevent premature aging, which results from things such as;

· Psychological stress

· Unhealthy diets

· Nicotine

· Excessive alcohol consumption

· UV radiation

All these factors put you at risk of free radical formation leading to premature skin aging. A few lifestyle changes might be all you need to maintain a youthful look before it is time to use a wrinkle cream. To block out sun damage, you can use a day cream and sunscreen.

Using Anti-Aging Creams

Skin aging processes can start at different times for different individuals depending on the factors. Skin professionals advise that you start giving the skin some protection from aging between the age of 25 and 30. Anti-aging creams with hyaluronic acid and creatine are some of the best in protecting the skin from harmful UV rays. Today, it is easy to choose the best anti-aging creams since you can choose for your specific skin type or your age. You will find anything from anti-aging 20s cream to anti-aging cream 50+ products. The categorization is important because skin at different ages require different treatments for the best results to be enjoyed.

As for eye creams, you can start using them as soon as you see signs of aging around this thin skin. Even younger people have issues of dark circles as well as puffiness and wrinkles around the delicate skin eye. It can be beneficial to use eye creams before turning thirty.

When using ant-aging creams, most people expect instantaneous results. However, it is important to remember that your results will depend on your type of skin and the condition of the skin when you start using the products. Regularly using your products will of course hasten the process but it is also important to adhere to the given directions of use for best results. When using quality anti-aging creams, you will feel a change in your skin texture after a few days and you should see improvements as with the appearance of the wrinkles and fine lines as you continue using them. Choose quality products and be consistent with your use.

Anti-aging cream 25 year old [http://www.amazing-anti-aging-cream.com/] beginnings can help a lot in maintaining a youthful beautiful skin. Choosing quality products is however also paramount in pushing you closer to the expected results.

May 8, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on The Programmed Cellular Death Approach to Anti-Aging TreatmentFiled under: General

Modern anti-aging treatment is built on a common base of knowledge that I will quickly review. Biochemistry and molecular biology tell us there are many types of chemical reactions going on in the human body. We know that it is the genetic information programmed inside our cellular DNA that defines what reactions occur. Genetic information, expressed in regulated ways, builds the body’s proteins and enzymes, and controls how enzymes carry out the cell’s biochemical reactions.

This information, contained in the DNA of our genome, consists of many thousands of long, often repetitive, sequences of base pairs that are built up from four basic nucleotides. Human genome mapping has shown there are over 3 billion base pairs in our DNA. It is estimated they contain some 20,000 protein-coding genes. All body functions are controlled by the expression of the genes in our genome. The mechanisms controlling the aging process are believed to be programmed into our DNA but only a fraction of the biochemical reactions related to the aging process have been looked at in any detail. Cellular aging is a very complex process and many of its low level operating details have yet to be discovered.

Anti-aging theory has consolidated itself along two lines of thought: the programmed cellular death theory and the cellular damages theory. The programmed death theory focuses on the root causes of aging. The cellular damages theory looks at the visible aspects of aging; i.e. the symptoms of aging. Both theories are correct and often overlap. Both theories are developing rapidly as anti-aging research uncovers more details. As works in progress these theories may take years to complete. This broad characterization also applies to the currently available types of anti-aging treatments.

The programmed death theory of aging suggests that biological aging is a programmed process controlled by many life span regulatory mechanisms. They manifest themselves through gene expression. Gene expression also controls body processes such as our body maintenance (hormones, homeostatic signaling etc.) and repair mechanisms. With increasing age the efficiency of all such regulation declines. Programmed cellular death researchers want to understand which regulatory mechanisms are directly related to aging, and how to affect or improve them. Many ideas are being pursued but one key area of focus is on slowing or stopping telomere shortening. This is considered to be a major cause of aging.

With the exception of the germ cells that produce ova and spermatozoa, most dividing human cell types can only divide about 50 to 80 times (also called the Hayflick limit or biological death clock). This is a direct consequence of all cell types having fixed length telomere chains at the ends of their chromosomes. This is true for all animal (Eukaryotic) cells. Telomeres play a vital role in cell division. In very young adults telomere chains are about 8,000 base pairs long. Each time a cell divides its telomere chain loses about 50 to 100 base pairs. Eventually this shortening process distorts the telomere chain’s shape and it becomes dysfunctional. Cell division is then no longer possible.

Telomerase, the enzyme that builds the fixed length telomere chains, is normally only active in young undifferentiated embryonic cells. Through the process of differentiation these cells eventually form the specialized cells from which of all our organs and tissues are made of. After a cell is specialized telomerase activity stops. Normal adult human tissues have little or no detectable telomerase activity. Why? A limited length telomere chain maintains chromosomal integrity. This preserves the species more than the individual.

During the first months of development embryonic cells organize into about 100 distinct specialized cell lines. Each cell line (and the organs they make up) has a different Hayflick limit. Some cell lines are more vulnerable to the effects of aging than others. In the heart and parts of the brain cell loss is not replenished. With advancing age such tissues start to fail. In other tissues damaged cells die off and are replaced by new cells that have shorter telomere chains. Cell division itself only causes about 20 telomere base pairs to be lost. The rest of the telomere shortening is believed to be due to free radical damage.

This limit on cell division is the reason why efficient cell repair can’t go on indefinitely. When we are 20 to 35 years of age our cells can renew themselves almost perfectly. One study found that at the age 20 the average length of telomere chains in white blood cells is about 7,500 base pairs. In humans, skeletal muscle telomere chain lengths remain more or less constant from the early twenties to mid seventies. By the age of 80 the average telomere length decreases to about 6,000 base pairs. Different studies have different estimates of how telomere length varies with age but the consensus is that between the age of 20 and 80 the length of the telomere chain decreases by 1000 to 1500 base pairs. Afterwards, as telomere lengths shorten even more, signs of severe aging begin to appear.

There are genetic variations in human telomerase. Long lived Ashkenazi Jews are said to have a more active form of telomerase and longer than normal telomere chains. Many other genetic differences (ex.: efficiency of DNA repair, antioxidant enzymes, and rates of free radical production) affect how quickly one ages. Statistics suggest that having shorter telomeres increases your chance of dying. People whose telomeres are 10% shorter than average, and people whose telomeres are 10% longer than average die at different rates. Those with the shorter telomeres die at a rate that is 1.4 greater than those with the longer telomeres.

Many advances in telomerase based anti-aging treatments have been documented. I only have room to mention a few of them.

– Telomerase has been used successfully to lengthen the life of certain mice by up to 24%.

– In humans, gene therapy using telomerase has been used to treat myocardial infarction and several other conditions.

In one particularly important example researchers using synthetic telomerase that encoded to a telomere-extending protein, have extended the telomere chain lengths of cultured human skin and muscle cells by up to 1000 base pairs. This is a 10%+ extension of telomere chain length. The treated cells then showed signs of being much younger than the untreated cells. After the treatments these cells behaved normally, losing a part of their telomere chain after each division.

The implications of successfully applying such techniques in humans are staggering. If telomere length is a primary cause of normal aging, then, using the telomere length numbers previously mentioned, it might be possible to double the healthy time period during which telomere chain lengths are constant; i.e. from the range of 23 to 74 years to an extended range of 23 to 120 or more years. Of course this is too optimistic because it is known that in vitro cultured cells are able to divide a larger number of times than cells in the human body but it is reasonable to expect some improvement (not 50 years but say 25 years).

We know that telomerase based treatments are not the final answer to anti-aging but there is no doubt that they can, by increasing the Hayflick limit, extend or even immortalize the lifespan of many cell types. It remains to be seen if this can be done safely done in humans.

Telomerase based treatments are only a partial answer to anti-aging. Please carefully research any anti-aging supplements based on this line of treatment. Through my articles and website I want to help you maintain your good health for the next 10 to 25 years. My hope is that within time period the fruits of anti-aging research will become available to everyone.

About Us

Coronado Heights Senior Living is a brand new community located on the Henderson Las Vegas border near the Eastern Crossing Shopping Center. We offer individualized care for our residents which we center around their needs, likes, and preferences. The goal of this person-centered care approach is to provide meaningful days for those residents we serve. Our focus is on relationships as we strive to create a home-like environment for our residents and their families.

Our community provides services for those needing both Assisted Living and Memory Care. Individualized Care Plans will be developed and implemented for all residents living at Coronado Heights Senior Living. Our care services are offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our goal is to provide person-centered care for those we serve by developing strong relationships with each resident

The majority of rooms will be private, but shared rooms will also be available. Each room is equipped with a private restroom and shower. There are two exterior courtyards which are beautiful and available for residents and their families. The community also boasts a state-of-the-art theater room for our residents enjoyment.

We are located just a few blocks away from the local hospital. In the very near future, we will have a skilled nursing and rehabilitation community on the same property for those residents needing short term rehab following a hospital stay.

Coronado Heights will partner with local home health providers to offer services including nursing and therapy (physical, occupational, and speech). Hospice partners will also come to our community to provide necessary care to residents who qualify for these services.

We welcome you to contact us today to learn more about our unique and caring community.

Quick Facts

New community in Las Vegas, Nevada offering Assisted Living and Memory Care

Our Community

Coronado Heights Senior Living Community provides services for residents needing both Assisted Living and Memory Care. Our staff will provide individualized care plans that will be uniquely tailored for each resident.

All training, care, services, activities and surroundings are customized to meet the needs of each resident.

Our community features:

Beautiful new community

We are located a few blocks away from the local hospitals

Lush landscaped courtyards and secured walking paths

Family-style dining

Comfortable seating areas for reading, card playing, and socializing

State-of-the-art theater for resident enjoyment

Daily activities program and events

In-house hair/spa appointments

Home health programs for nursing, hospice and therapy needs

Scheduled transportation services

Trained professional caregivers and staff

Our medical services include:

Hospice programs

Medication management and education

Nutrition and hydration programs

Respite stays

Dementia care

Director of Nursing oversees all aspects of healthcare within the community

Our therapy services include:

Physical therapy

Occupational therapy

Speech therapy

Music therapy

Art therapy

All therapy services are provided by an outside therapy program and are not provided in-house. These services along with the medical services can be obtained for each resident as needed. Our care services are offered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Our Team

We’re so excited to be opening a brand new community here in the local Henderson/Las Vegas community. I have been an Executive Director for 6 years. I recently went back to school and completed my Masters Degree in Gerontology at the University of Utah. I love the work in which I’m involved. Getting to know our residents and their unique life stories is so much fun! My wife and I will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary this summer and have 3 young children who keep us on our toes. In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, any sport, but my favorites are baseball and golf, and spending time doing anything outdoors. We’re really happy to be here in town and look forward to becoming a part of the local community.

May 1, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on Part Four: Current and Future Anti-Aging TreatmentsFiled under: General

As previously noted, many anti-oxidants are essential nutrients. Natural anti-oxidants, like vitamin C and E, work synergistically. Anti-oxidants may be more effective if obtained from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Nutritionists recommend eating 6 or more daily servings of anti-oxidant rich fruits and vegetables. Everyone agrees the use of antioxidant supplements for anti-aging may be helpful, but there is no agreement on what the most effective supplement dosages should be.

Anti-aging medicine acknowledges that stress of all kinds causes aging but has not yet developed individualized treatment for this. There are countless sources of internal and external stress and individual stress levels vary greatly. One overlooked cause of internal stress is improper hydration. Water is essential in for the correct operation of many internal functions. Too little or too much water causes age producing stress. When one is old (80+) thirst perception declines and dehydration can easily set in. Other overlooked sources of stress are antioxidants themselves. High doses (or doses above certain yet unspecified amounts) of supplemental anti-oxidants are a known cause of stress.

To be helpful, antioxidant supplements must prevent other types of stress more than the stress they themselves create. Knowing the correct supplement dosages that can do this is an essential part of anti-aging treatment. A healthy young person in his twenties, who is properly nourished, will have less internal stress that an older individual in his sixties. For a young individual, lower amounts of antioxidants may be safer than higher amounts. A older person, whose many internal homeostatic mechanisms are less able to deal with internal stress, may benefit more from higher amounts of antioxidants. Theoretically an anti-oxidant based course of anti-ageing treatment will slow the rate at which cellular damage occurs. Cells will become “sick” more slowly. Over time, as fewer sick cells are replaced at a slower rate, the number of cells retaining longer telomere chains will be higher. You can then reasonably expect this to result in an increase in life expectancy. For now the recommended but imprecise approach to decrease the rate at which cellular damage occurs is to increase your per day intake of anti-oxidant rich fruits and vegetables, to slightly increase your intake of antioxidants, and to take various vitamins and small amounts of anti-aging supplements on a daily basis. One study has shown taking a good multivitamin supplement is associated with longer telomere length.

Ideally anti-aging treatment should to be fine tuned for each individual. The key here would be to measure and minimize the cumulative effects of different kinds of stress on an individual basis. Easily measurable practical bio-markers for various types of stress do not yet exist or are not being used. When they are used it will be easy to customize individual antioxidant dosages so that everyone have “optimum” levels throughout their life. “Optimum” levels would maintain a safe reserve of protective antioxidants in the body.

Next I will briefly discuss the most popular nutrients associated with anti-aging. The most popular of the anti-oxidants, vitamins, and nutrients often associated with good health and anti-aging include: beta-carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C, vitamin E, various Flavonoids,Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, Co-enzyme Q10, Lycopene, Selenium.

There are dozens of supplements that are known to effectively treat specific symptoms of old age. A few of the better known supplements include: DMAE, Acetyl-l-carnitine, L-carnosine, Alpha Lipoic Acid, DHEA, L-arginine, and melatonin

Good food contains some of the anti-oxidants previously mentioned. A few other popular foods associated with anti-aging include: Green Tea, turmeric, and red wine.

All of the above have unique biological properties and, in my opinion, are “good” for you if taken in small or moderate amounts. Some (ex. vitamin C) may also be “good” for you in larger amounts. Various studies on each of these may conflict with each other. You need to carefully research each substance on your own but researchers have already found several nutrients to be associated with longer than average telomere lengths. These include: Green Tea, Omega-3, Vitamins A, C, D, and E.

Vitamin E has been associated with telomere lengthening anti-aging properties.

Green tea contains many antioxidants, including vitamin C, E and flavenoids.Flavenoids form a large antioxidant class (including catechins and quercetin) that has many anticarcinogenic, antihypercholesterolemic, antibacterial, (helps prevent dental caries), and anti-inflammatory properties. The leaves of the tea plant are rich in polyphenols. The consumption of 3 cups or more of green tea daily has been associated with longer than average telomere length.

The Omega-3s are essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that are anti-inflammatory and help prevent heart disease, stroke, memory loss, depression, arthritis, cataract, cancer. Omega-3s slow down the shortening of telomeres; i.e. they may protect against aging on a cellular level.

Vitamin C is an abundant internal water soluble antioxidant that protects cellular components against free-radical formation caused by pollution and cigarette smoke. Many studies have associated high vitamin C intakes with lower rates of cancer of the mouth, larynx and esophagus. Vitamin C has shown promise in treating premature aging and possibly aging itself.

Due to limitations on the number of links I can incorporate into this article I could not provide more reference links supporting the preceding paragraphs. If interested please email me at the email address shown at the end of this article and I will forward them to you.

The sooner you start some sort of anti-aging treatment the better but it is never too late to start. All real treatments will help you maintain a longer than average average telomere chain length.

The goal of the programmed death theory of aging is to address the root causes of aging. This goal includes attempts to slow or reverse the telomere shortening process. Two such treatments are: TA 65 and human genetic engineering.

TA 65 is a telomerase activating product produced and marketed by Sierra Sciences. The key ingredient in TA 65 is Astragalus, a plant extract known to have telomerase activation properties. The product may work but I do not recommend it for several reasons. TA 65 is too expensive for the average person. A number of expensive health spas incorporate TA 65 in their programs. Again these are financially beyond the reach of the average person. The marketing tactics of Sierra Sciences have been questioned by many and there are law suits pending against TA 65.

The big issue I have with TA 65 is one of scientific honesty. The company genetically engineered mice that allowed telomerase to be switched off and on at an early age. TA 65 was able to switch telomerase back on in these mice and allowed them to live normal lives. http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101128/full/news.2010.635.html

Human genetic engineering is the real answer to fighting and defeating aging. It can directly address the root causes of aging. Advances in this area (ex. CRISPR) allow DNA base pairs to be inserted or deleted at specific place in our DNA. This means the human genome can now be precisely edited as needed. The lifespan of old mice has been modestly increased using telomerase gene therapy. In humans gene modification therapy has frequently been used for various medical problems. On September 15, 2015, Elizabeth Parrish was the first human to undergo anti-aging gene therapy. Anti-aging treatments will rapidly advance as our knowledge of the specifics of the human genome grows.

Current general social-political attitudes seem to be favoring the further development of anti-aging research. There are no international recognized political programs to stop aging or extend life but since 2012 a few pro-immortality political parties have sprung up. Their aim is to support anti-aging and life extension research, and to help provide access to advances in these areas to everyone. Among the numerous organizations supporting anti-aging research, the SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence) organization has come up with an anti-aging research plan. They want to develop anti-aging therapies to repair most forms of cellular damage. SENS, is a charitable organization. Any anti-aging advances resulting from funding it provides will become readily available public knowledge. In addition to the normal scientific research there is the $1,000,00 Palo Alto Longevity Prize that is being offered to anyone who can come up with an effective anti-aging treatment.

As of 2015, all known anti-aging treatments are only partially effective. Depending on when one starts a comprehensive anti-aging program, one can probably extend one’s life by 10 to 25 years. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health estimated that an anti-aging lifestyle can add 24.6 more productive years to one’s lifespan. Anti-aging knowledge increases at a rate of about 10 times every 10 years. This probably means that for many of us there is more than enough time to reap the anticipated benefits in anti-aging research. One day soon, aging, like many other diseases, will be cured. While we wait for those anti-aging technological singularities to occur the name of the game is to ensure we stay healthy long enough repeat their benefits.

As a former engineer I have a strong affinity to all sciences including biology.

My interests include following advances in the fields of anti-aging, health and nutrition. Rapid advances in these areas will vanquish the disease we call aging.
Through my articles and website I want to help you maintain your good health for the next 10 to 25 years. I believe this can be done by a daily program that includes moderate exercise, a healthy diet that includes vitamins and related supplements, and taking advantage of any advances in related research. My hope is that within the next 25 years or less, the fruits of anti-aging research will become available to everyone.

April 24, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on Take a Number: Five Ways to Look at AgeFiled under: General

One for the Ages

Satchel Paige was a great baseball pitcher, one of the greatest of all time. He was an African-American and, due to the racial discrimination of the time, most of his outstanding career was not spent in the (white) major leagues. However, after the historic breakthrough by the courageous and talented Jackie Robinson (Mr. Paige’s junior by about 14 years), Satchel Paige pitched in the major leagues for a number of years. In fact, he was still able to get major league batters out at the age of 60! (Mr. Paige’s age at his retirement from baseball is not known for certain because no one, probably including Mr. Paige himself, knew his exact year of birth; some thought he was older than 60). Mr. Paige revealed a mind as sharp as the break on his curve ball when he asked this profound question for the ages:

“How old would you be if you did not know how old you are?”

These writings are dedicated to the memory of Satchel Paige and to all the so-called “over-the-hill” guys and gals in every sport and in every area of life, from Churchill and Reagan in politics to Jessica Tandy in acting and Paul McCartney in fatherhood. They and many like them in the past and present will be joined by many more in the future who are not really “over the hill” because they are too busy taking the hill.

Five Ways to Look at Age

Chronological Age

The most common way to look at age is the Chronological. This is the one that everyone is familiar with. It is simply the time that has passed since your date of birth to today. It is the one that governments and insurance companies require of you and that your Doctor knows, even if your boy friend doesn’t. It is a unidimensional measure because it considers only time. It is uniform because everybody who is 48 years, 6 months, and 3 weeks old is exactly that, chronologically. People who view age only from the chronological perspective are somewhere between dumb and dumber.

True Age

True Age is another and better way to look at your age. True age is basically what a measurement of all the biomarkers of aging would reveal about you. Here’s four points about true age. One, if a well-trained physician did NOT know how old you are but reviewed a print-out of your biomarkers, she or he could accurately estimate your true age. Two, your true age is not uniform but varies by individual: you can be younger or older than your chronological age. Three, true age is multidimensional rather than confined to time. Four, absolutely nothing can be done about chronological age because it is fixed, but a great deal can be done about true age.

Appearance Age

Appearance Age is the age you appear to be to others. It no doubt has some relationship to both chronological age and true age. Yet it is different. This is because it is heavily influenced by a number of factors outside the scope of biomarker measurement, not the least of which is attitude. We all know people that appear to be quite a bit younger or older than their chronological age. But the only scientific way to measure a person’s appearance age would be to have a representative sample of the population observe a person for at least a few minutes. A quick glance is not sufficient because appearance age includes factors such as movement of the body and alertness, not just a frozen face. Then the estimates from all members of the representative sample would be gathered, simple statistical measures applied, and Voila! You have the person’s appearance age. Of course, unless we are part of a study, none of us will ever get this scientific about it. We will just have to rely on random comments from friends, family, and nice or mean strangers to estimate our appearance age; and usually it’s a pretty good estimate.

NEAT Age

A new way to look at age, which occurred to me awhile back, is what I call one’s N.E.A.T. age. This is simply one’s time left on the planet from right Now to the time of death. This age is unknowable by readers or anyone, except those committed to imminent suicide (and these poor folks are no more likely to take the short time remaining to do age calculations than they are to be caught dead reading an article about lively longevity). The best we can do is make a calculated estimate based on what we know about the general population and factor in any pluses or minuses that apply to us individually.

The N in NEAT of course stands for Now since the calculation is from the present, today, right now. E is for Elusive because I believe moments of time are elusive. As we humans try to hold or capture a moment of time it eludes us because the next moment is here, and then the next. Time and life are a flow.

The A in NEAT is for Allotted. Everyone who has ever lived has only so much time to live. Some have short lives, some have long lives, and some have lives neither particularly long nor short. But human life is finite and almost certainly will remain finite into the distant future if not forever. We do not need to take sides in the age-old debate about whether or not our allotted time is predestined by God in order to recognize that the amount is finite.

Of course, T is for Time. Time remaining is what it is all about. As has been oft noted: a millionaire on his death bed would gladly exchange his riches for a little more time, say one more day of healthy living.

So one’s NEAT age is one’s Now Elusive Allotted Time. It is a concept that provides a different perspective on aging and on life. For example, let’s suppose there was a 30-year old person named Terry and a 60-year old person named Sydney living in the same town in 1960. Conventional wisdom and simple arithmetic agree that Sydney was twice as old as Terry at that time. Such wisdom carries the (usually) unstated assumption that Terry is about 30 years further from the grave than Sydney. Statistically, this is difficult to argue with. But statistics are oft off for an individual and sometimes by a wide margin.

Let’s suppose that Terry had a lifetime of very bad health habits and, never having had the opportunity to read my writings, continued the very bad habits. Poor Terry expired a little shy of 40. (The same fate could have befallen Terry due to a dreaded disease or tragic accident.) Sydney, on the other hand, decided at some point to lead a health-conscious life. Sydney made good choices and stuck with them. Sydney enjoyed basically good health beyond age 100 before passing on. When Sydney was 60 and Terry was 30, Sydney had a NEAT age of 40+ and Terry had a NEAT age just under 10. So way back in 1960, who was younger: the one with less than a decade of life left, or the one with more than four decades of vibrant life left? One of the neat things about the NEAT age is that the bigger this age number the better.

Ideal Age

The fifth and final way that we will look at age is one’s Ideal Age. Your ideal age is your age of choice, your preferred age. The concept of ideal age brings us back to Satchel Paige’s question:

How old would you be if you did not know how old you are?

In a sense, perhaps most of us do NOT know how old we are anyhow. Sure we know our chronological age, and some of us have a rough gauge of our appearance age. But few of us know our true age, and none of us knows our NEAT age. So it should not be so difficult to put chronological age aside for a few moments and answer Mr. Paige’s question.

Before leaping to an answer like 21, keep in my mind that successful living usually involves a combination of physical vigor, mental acuity, and wisdom. Personally, my ideal age is 37; thus even at my next birthday I will still be one year younger than all the women over 40.

What about you? What’s your number? What’s your ideal age? The way my anti-aging program works for you is that after reflection you establish your ideal age. Then we work with all the tools and techniques of the program to bring your true age into ever closer alignment with your ideal age. There is a balance to be struck. A 90-year old reader shooting for an ideal age of 19 is setting up way too much of a challenge and thus is setting up for failure. A 50-year old reader settling for an ideal age of 45 is not challenging herself or himself enough.

Take a number.

Satchel Paige was the impetus for me to write the close to this article:

When it comes to matters of age,

It is best to take a page out of Paige,

And move forward with grace,

Paying no mind to this myth of the human race.

Gary Patrick is a certified anti-aging professional (Giovane Medical Services). He is also an author, hypnotist, personal trainer, and speaker. Free stuff is available for a limited time at his web site: [http://rapidresults.biz]

April 18, 2016 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on The Development of Old Age and Related IssuesFiled under: General

In traditional Chinese and other Asian cultures the aged were highly respected and cared for. The Igabo tribesmen of Eastern Nigeria value dependency in their aged and involve them in care of children and the administration of tribal affairs (Shelton, A. in Kalish R. Uni Michigan 1969).

In Eskimo culture the grandmother was pushed out into the ice-flow to die as soon as she became useless.

Western societies today usually resemble to some degree the Eskimo culture, only the “ice-flows” have names such a “Sunset Vista” and the like. Younger generations no longer assign status to the aged and their abandonment is always in danger of becoming the social norm.

There has been a tendency to remove the aged from their homes and put them in custodial care. To some degree the government provides domiciliary care services to prevent or delay this, but the motivation probably has more to do with expense than humanity.

In Canada and some parts of the USA old people are being utilised as foster-grandparents in child care agencies.

SOME BASIC DEFINITIONS

What is Aging?

Aging: Aging is a natural phenomenon that refers to changes occurring throughout the life span and result in differences in structure and function between the youthful and elder generation.

Gerontology: Gerontology is the study of aging and includes science, psychology and sociology.

Geriatrics: A relatively new field of medicine specialising in the health problems of advanced age.

Social aging: Refers to the social habits and roles of individuals with respect to their culture and society. As social aging increases individual usually experience a decrease in meaningful social interactions.

Biological aging: Refers to the physical changes in the body systems during the later decades of life. It may begin long before the individual reaches chronological age 65.

Cognitive aging: Refers to decreasing ability to assimilate new information and learn new behaviours and skills.

GENERAL PROBLEMS OF AGING

Eric Erikson (Youth and the life cycle. Children. 7:43-49 Mch/April 1960) developed an “ages and stages” theory of human development that involved 8 stages after birth each of which involved a basic dichotomy representing best case and worst case outcomes. Below are the dichotomies and their developmental relevance:

Prenatal stage – conception to birth.

Infancy. Birth to 2 years – basic trust vs. basic distrust. Hope.

Early childhood, 3 to 4 years – autonomy vs. self doubt/shame. Will.

Play age, 5 to 8 years – initiative vs. guilt. Purpose.

School age, 9to 12 – industry vs. inferiority. Competence.

Adolescence, 13 to 19 – identity vs. identity confusion. Fidelity.

Young adulthood – intimacy vs. isolation. Love.

Adulthood, generativity vs. self absorption. Care.

Mature age- Ego Integrity vs. Despair. Wisdom.

This stage of older adulthood, i.e. stage 8, begins about the time of retirement and continues throughout one’s life. Achieving ego integrity is a sign of maturity while failing to reach this stage is an indication of poor development in prior stages through the life course.

Ego integrity: This means coming to accept one’s whole life and reflecting on it in a positive manner. According to Erikson, achieving integrity means fully accepting one’ self and coming to terms with death. Accepting responsibility for one’s life and being able to review the past with satisfaction is essential. The inability to do this leads to despair and the individual will begin to fear death. If a favourable balance is achieved during this stage, then wisdom is developed.

Psychological and personality aspects:

Aging has psychological implications. Next to dying our recognition that we are aging may be one of the most profound shocks we ever receive. Once we pass the invisible line of 65 our years are bench marked for the remainder of the game of life. We are no longer “mature age” we are instead classified as “old”, or “senior citizens”. How we cope with the changes we face and stresses of altered status depends on our basic personality. Here are 3 basic personality types that have been identified. It may be a oversimplification but it makes the point about personality effectively:

a. The autonomous – people who seem to have the resources for self-renewal. They may be dedicated to a goal or idea and committed to continuing productivity. This appears to protect them somewhat even against physiological aging.

b.The adjusted – people who are rigid and lacking in adaptability but are supported by their power, prestige or well structured routine. But if their situation changes drastically they become psychiatric casualties.

c.The anomic. These are people who do not have clear inner values or a protective life vision. Such people have been described as prematurely resigned and they may deteriorate rapidly.

Summary of stresses of old age.

a. Retirement and reduced income. Most people rely on work for self worth, identity and social interaction. Forced retirement can be demoralising.

b. Fear of invalidism and death. The increased probability of falling prey to illness from which there is no recovery is a continual source of anxiety. When one has a heart attack or stroke the stress becomes much worse.

Some persons face death with equanimity, often psychologically supported by a religion or philosophy. Others may welcome death as an end to suffering or insoluble problems and with little concern for life or human existence. Still others face impending death with suffering of great stress against which they have no ego defenses.

c. Isolation and loneliness. Older people face inevitable loss of loved ones, friends and contemporaries. The loss of a spouse whom one has depended on for companionship and moral support is particularly distressing. Children grow up, marry and become preoccupied or move away. Failing memory, visual and aural impairment may all work to make social interaction difficult. And if this then leads to a souring of outlook and rigidity of attitude then social interaction becomes further lessened and the individual may not even utilise the avenues for social activity that are still available.

d. Reduction in sexual function and physical attractiveness. Kinsey et al, in their Sexual behaviour in the human male, (Phil., Saunders, 1948) found that there is a gradual decrease in sexual activity with advancing age and that reasonably gratifying patterns of sexual activity can continue into extreme old age. The aging person also has to adapt to loss of sexual attractiveness in a society which puts extreme emphasis on sexual attractiveness. The adjustment in self image and self concept that are required can be very hard to make.

e. Forces tending to self devaluation. Often the experience of the older generation has little perceived relevance to the problems of the young and the older person becomes deprived of participation in decision making both in occupational and family settings. Many parents are seen as unwanted burdens and their children may secretly wish they would die so they can be free of the burden and experience some financial relief or benefit. Senior citizens may be pushed into the role of being an old person with all this implies in terms of self devaluation.

4 Major Categories of Problems or Needs:

Health.

Housing.

Income maintenance.

Interpersonal relations.

BIOLOGICAL CHANGES

Physiological Changes: Catabolism (the breakdown of protoplasm) overtakes anabolism (the build-up of protoplasm). All body systems are affected and repair systems become slowed. The aging process occurs at different rates in different individuals.

Physical appearance and other changes:

Loss of subcutaneous fat and less elastic skin gives rise to wrinkled appearance, sagging and loss of smoothness of body contours. Joints stiffen and become painful and range of joint movement becomes restricted, general mobility lessened.

Respiratory changes:

Increase of fibrous tissue in chest walls and lungs leads restricts respiratory movement and less oxygen is consumed. Older people more likelyto have lower respiratory infections whereas young people have upper respiratory infections.

Nutritive changes:

Tooth decay and loss of teeth can detract from ease and enjoyment in eating. Atrophy of the taste buds means food is inclined to be tasteless and this should be taken into account by carers. Digestive changes occur from lack of exercise (stimulating intestines) and decrease in digestive juice production. Constipation and indigestion are likely to follow as a result. Financial problems can lead to the elderly eating an excess of cheap carbohydrates rather than the more expensive protein and vegetable foods and this exacerbates the problem, leading to reduced vitamin intake and such problems as anemia and increased susceptibility to infection.

Adaptation to stress:

All of us face stress at all ages. Adaptation to stress requires the consumption of energy. The 3 main phases of stress are:

1. Initial alarm reaction. 2. Resistance. 3. Exhaustion

and if stress continues tissue damage or aging occurs. Older persons have had a lifetime of dealing with stresses. Energy reserves are depleted and the older person succumbs to stress earlier than the younger person. Stress is cumulative over a lifetime. Research results, including experiments with animals suggests that each stress leaves us more vulnerable to the next and that although we might think we’ve “bounced back” 100% in fact each stress leaves it scar. Further, stress is psycho-biological meaning the kind of stress is irrelevant. A physical stress may leave one more vulnerable to psychological stress and vice versa. Rest does not completely restore one after a stressor. Care workers need to be mindful of this and cognizant of the kinds of things that can produce stress for aged persons.

COGNITIVE CHANGE Habitual Behaviour:

Sigmund Freud noted that after the age of 50, treatment of neuroses via psychoanalysis was difficult because the opinions and reactions of older people were relatively fixed and hard to shift.

Over-learned behaviour: This is behaviour that has been learned so well and repeated so often that it has become automatic, like for example typing or running down stairs. Over-learned behaviour is hard to change. If one has lived a long time one is likely to have fixed opinions and ritualised behaviour patterns or habits.

Compulsive behaviour: Habits and attitudes that have been learned in the course of finding ways to overcome frustration and difficulty are very hard to break. Tension reducing habits such as nail biting, incessant humming, smoking or drinking alcohol are especially hard to change at any age and particularly hard for persons who have been practising them over a life time.

The psychology of over-learned and compulsive behaviours has severe implications for older persons who find they have to live in what for them is a new and alien environment with new rules and power relations.

Information acquisition:

Older people have a continual background of neural noise making it more difficult for them to sort out and interpret complex sensory input. In talking to an older person one should turn off the TV, eliminate as many noises and distractions as possible, talk slowly and relate to one message or idea at a time.

Memories from the distant past are stronger than more recent memories. New memories are the first to fade and last to return.

Time patterns also can get mixed – old and new may get mixed.

Intelligence.

Intelligence reaches a peak and can stay high with little deterioration if there is no neurological damage. People who have unusually high intelligence to begin with seem to suffer the least decline. Education and stimulation also seem to play a role in maintaining intelligence.

Intellectual impairment. Two diseases of old age causing cognitive decline are Alzheimer’s syndrome and Pick’s syndrome. In Pick’s syndrome there is inability to concentrate and learn and also affective responses are impaired.

Degenerative Diseases: Slow progressive physical degeneration of cells in the nervous system. Genetics appear to be an important factor. Usually start after age 40 (but can occur as early as 20s).

Progressive deterioration of all intellectual faculties (memory deficiency being the most well known and obvious). Total mass of the brain decreases, ventricles become larger. No established treatment.

PICK’S DISEASE Rare degenerative disease. Similar to Alzheimer’s in terms of onset, symptomatology and possible genetic aetiology. However it affects circumscribed areas of the brain, particularly the frontal areas which leads to a loss of normal affect.

PARKINSON’S DISEASE Neuropathology: Loss of neurons in the basal ganglia.

Symptoms: Movement abnormalities: rhythmical alternating tremor of extremities, eyelids and tongue along with rigidity of the muscles and slowness of movement (akinesia).

It was once thought that Parkinson’s disease was not associated with intellectual deterioration, but it is now known that there is an association between global intellectual impairment and Parkinson’s where it occurs late in life.

The cells lost in Parkinson’s are associated with the neuro-chemical Dopamine and the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s are associated the dopamine deficiency. Treatment involves administration of dopamine precursor L-dopa which can alleviate symptoms including intellectual impairment. Research suggests it may possibly bring to the fore emotional effects in patients who have had psychiatric illness at some prior stage in their lives.

AFFECTIVE DOMAIN In old age our self concept gets its final revision. We make a final assessment of the value of our lives and our balance of success and failures.

How well a person adapts to old age may be predicated by how well the person adapted to earlier significant changes. If the person suffered an emotional crisis each time a significant change was needed then adaptation to the exigencies of old age may also be difficult. Factors such as economic security, geographic location and physical health are important to the adaptive process.

Need Fulfilment: For all of us, according to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory, we are not free to pursue the higher needs of self actualisation unless the basic needs are secured. When one considers that many, perhaps most, old people are living in poverty and continually concerned with basic survival needs, they are not likely to be happily satisfying needs related to prestige, achievement and beauty.

Maslow’s Hierarchy

Physiological

Safety

Belonging, love, identification

Esteem: Achievement, prestige, success, self respect

Self actualisation: Expressing one’s interests and talents to the full.

Note: Old people who have secured their basic needs may be motivated to work on tasks of the highest levels in the hierarchy – activities concerned with aesthetics, creativity and altruistic matters, as compensation for loss of sexual attractiveness and athleticism. Aged care workers fixated on getting old people to focus on social activities may only succeed in frustrating and irritating them if their basic survival concerns are not secured to their satisfaction.

DISENGAGEMENT

Social aging according to Cumming, E. and Henry, W. (Growing old: the aging process of disengagement, NY, Basic 1961) follows a well defined pattern:

Change in role. Change in occupation and productivity. Possibly change in attitude to work.

Loss of role, e.g. retirement or death of a husband.

Reduced social interaction. With loss of role social interactions are diminished, eccentric adjustment can further reduce social interaction, damage to self concept, depression.

Awareness of scarcity of remaining time. This produces further curtailment of activity in interest of saving time.

Havighurst, R. et al (in B. Neugarten (ed.) Middle age and aging, U. of Chicago, 1968) and others have suggested that disengagement is not an inevitable process. They believe the needs of the old are essentially the same as in middle age and the activities of middle age should be extended as long as possible. Havighurst points out the decrease in social interaction of the aged is often largely the result of society withdrawing from the individual as much as the reverse. To combat this he believes the individual must vigorously resist the limitations of his social world.

DEATH The fear of the dead amongst tribal societies is well established. Persons who had ministered to the dead were taboo and required observe various rituals including seclusion for varying periods of time. In some societies from South America to Australia it is taboo for certain persons to utter the name of the dead. Widows and widowers are expected to observe rituals in respect for the dead.

Widows in the Highlands of New Guinea around Goroka chop of one of their own fingers. The dead continue their existence as spirits and upsetting them can bring dire consequences.

Wahl, C in “The fear of death”, 1959 noted that the fear of death occurs as early as the 3rd year of life. When a child loses a pet or grandparent fears reside in the unspoken questions: Did I cause it? Will happen to you (parent) soon? Will this happen to me? The child in such situations needs to re-assure that the departure is not a censure, and that the parent is not likely to depart soon. Love, grief, guilt, anger are a mix of conflicting emotions that are experienced.

CONTEMPORARY ATTITUDES TO DEATH

Our culture places high value on youth, beauty, high status occupations, social class and anticipated future activities and achievement. Aging and dying are denied and avoided in this system. The death of each person reminds us of our own mortality.

The death of the elderly is less disturbing to members of Western society because the aged are not especially valued. Surveys have established that nurses for example attach more importance to saving a young life than an old life. In Western society there is a pattern of avoiding dealing with the aged and dying aged patient.

Stages of dying. Elisabeth Kubler Ross has specialised in working with dying patients and in her “On death and dying”, NY, Macmillan, 1969, summarised 5 stages in dying.

Denial and isolation. “No, not me”.

Anger. “I’ve lived a good life so why me?”

Bargaining. Secret deals are struck with God. “If I can live until…I promise to…”

Depression. (In general the greatest psychological problem of the aged is depression). Depression results from real and threatened loss.

Acceptance of the inevitable.

Kubler Ross’s typology as set out above should, I believe be taken with a grain of salt and not slavishly accepted. Celebrated US Journalist David Rieff who was in June ’08 a guest of the Sydney writer’s festival in relation to his book, “Swimming in a sea of death: a son’s memoir” (Melbourne University Press) expressly denied the validity of the Kubler Ross typology in his Late Night Live interview (Australian ABC radio) with Philip Adams June 9th ’08. He said something to the effect that his mother had regarded her impending death as murder. My own experience with dying persons suggests that the human ego is extraordinarily resilient. I recall visiting a dying colleague in hospital just days before his death. He said, “I’m dying, I don’t like it but there’s nothing I can do about it”, and then went on to chortle about how senior academics at an Adelaide university had told him they were submitting his name for a the Order of Australia (the new “Knighthood” replacement in Australia). Falling in and out of lucid thought with an oxygen tube in his nostrils he was nevertheless still highly interested in the “vain glories of the world”. This observation to me seemed consistent with Rieff’s negative assessment of Kubler Ross’s theories.

THE AGED IN RELATION TO YOUNGER PEOPLE

The aged share with the young the same needs: However, the aged often have fewer or weaker resources to meet those needs. Their need for social interaction may be ignored by family and care workers.

Family should make time to visit their aged members and invite them to their homes. The aged like to visit children and relate to them through games and stories.

Meaningful relationships can be developed via foster-grandparent programs. Some aged are not aware of their income and health entitlements. Family and friends should take the time to explain these. Some aged are too proud to access their entitlements and this problem should be addressed in a kindly way where it occurs.

It is best that the aged be allowed as much choice as possible in matters related to living arrangements, social life and lifestyle.

Communities serving the aged need to provide for the aged via such things as lower curbing, and ramps.

Carers need to examine their own attitude to aging and dying. Denial in the carer is detected by the aged person and it can inhibit the aged person from expressing negative feelings – fear, anger. If the person can express these feelings to someone then that person is less likely to die with a sense of isolation and bitterness.

A METAPHYSICAL PERSPECTIVE

The following notes are my interpretation of a Dr. Depak Chopra lecture entitled, “The New Physics of Healing” which he presented to the 13th Scientific Conference of the American Holistic Medical Association. Dr. Depak Chopra is an endocrinologist and a former Chief of Staff of New England Hospital, Massachusetts. I am deliberately omitting the detail of his explanations of the more abstract, ephemeral and controversial ideas.

Original material from 735 Walnut Street, Boulder, Colorado 83002,

Phone. +303 449 6229.

In the lecture Dr. Chopra presents a model of the universe and of all organisms as structures of interacting centres of electromagnetic energy linked to each other in such a way that anything affecting one part of a system or structure has ramifications throughout the entire structure. This model becomes an analogue not only for what happens within the structure or organism itself, but between the organism and both its physical and social environments. In other words there is a correlation between psychological conditions, health and the aging process. Dr. Chopra in his lecture reconciles ancient Vedic (Hindu) philosophy with modern psychology and quantum physics.

Premature Precognitive Commitment: Dr. Chopra invokes experiments that have shown that flies kept for a long time in a jar do not quickly leave the jar when the top is taken off. Instead they accept the jar as the limit of their universe. He also points out that in India baby elephants are often kept tethered to a small twig or sapling. In adulthood when the elephant is capable of pulling over a medium sized tree it can still be successfully tethered to a twig! As another example he points to experiments in which fish are bred on

2 sides of a fish tank containing a divider between the 2 sides. When the divider is removed the fish are slow to learn that they can now swim throughout the whole tank but rather stay in the section that they accept as their universe. Other experiments have demonstrated that kittens brought up in an environment of vertical stripes and structures, when released in adulthood keep bumping into anything aligned horizontally as if they were unable to see anything that is horizontal. Conversely kittens brought up in an environment of horizontal stripes when released bump into vertical structures, apparently unable to see them.

The whole point of the above experiments is that they demonstrate Premature Precognitive Commitment. The lesson to be learned is that our sensory apparatus develops as a result of initial experience and how we’ve been taught to interpret it.

What is the real look of the world? It doesn’t exist. The way the world looks to us is determined by the sensory receptors we have and our interpretation of that look is determined by our premature precognitive commitments. Dr Chopra makes the point that less than a billionth of the available stimuli make it into our nervous systems. Most of it is screened, and what gets through to us is whatever we are expecting to find on the basis of our precognitive commitments.

Dr. Chopra also discusses the diseases that are actually caused by mainstream medical interventions, but this material gets too far away from my central intention. Dr. Chopra discusses in lay terms the physics of matter, energy and time by way of establishing the wider context of our existence. He makes the point that our bodies including the bodies of plants are mirrors of cosmic rhythms and exhibit changes correlating even with the tides.

Dr. Chopra cites the experiments of Dr. Herbert Spencer of the US National Institute of Health. He injected mice with Poly-IC, an immuno-stimulant while making the mice repeatedly smell camphor. After the effect of the Poly-IC had worn off he again exposed the mice to the camphor smell. The smell of camphor had the effect of causing the mice’s immune system to automatically strengthen as if they had been injected with the stimulant. He then took another batch of mice and injected them with cyclophosphamide which tends to destroy the immune system while exposing them to the smell of camphor. Later after being returned to normal just the smell of camphor was enough to cause destruction of their immune system. Dr. Chopra points out that whether or not camphor enhanced or destroyed the mice’s immune system was entirely determined by an interpretation of the meaning of the smell of camphor. The interpretation is not just in the brain but in each cell of the organism. We are bound to our imagination and our early experiences.

Chopra cites a study by the Massachusetts Dept of Health Education and Welfare into risk factors for heart disease – family history, cholesterol etc. The 2 most important risk factors were found to be psychological measures – Self Happiness Rating and Job Satisfaction. They found most people died of heart disease on a Monday!

Chopra says that for every feeling there is a molecule. If you are experiencing tranquillity your body will be producing natural valium. Chemical changes in the brain are reflected by changes in other cells including blood cells. The brain produces neuropeptides and brain structures are chemically tuned to these neuropeptide receptors. Neuropeptides (neurotransmitters) are the chemical concommitants of thought. Chopra points out the white blood cells (a part of the immune system) have neuropeptide receptors and are “eavesdropping” on our thinking. Conversely the immune system produces its own neuropeptides which can influence the nervous system. He goes on to say that cells in all parts of the body including heart and kidneys for example also produce neuropeptides and neuropeptide sensitivity. Chopra assures us that most neurologists would agree that the nervous system and the immune system are parallel systems.

Other studies in physiology: The blood interlukin-2 levels of medical students decreased as exam time neared and their interlukin receptor capacities also lowered. Chopra says if we are having fun to the point of exhilaration our natural interlukin-2 levels become higher. Interlukin-2 is a powerful and very expensive anti-cancer drug. The body is a printout of consciousness. If we could change the way we look at our bodies at a genuine, profound level then our bodies would actually change.

On the subject of “time” Chopra cites Sir Thomas Gall and Steven Hawkins, stating that our description of the universe as having a past, present, and future are constructed entirely out of our interpretation of change. But in reality linear time doesn’t exist.

Chopra explains the work of Alexander Leaf a former Harvard Professor of Preventative Medicine who toured the world investigating societies where people lived beyond 100 years (these included parts of Afghanistan, Soviet Georgia, Southern Andes). He looked at possible factors including climate, genetics, and diet. Leaf concluded the most important factor was the collective perception of aging in these societies.

Amongst the Tama Humara of the Southern Andes there was a collective belief that the older you got the more physically able you got. They had a tradition of running and the older one became then generally the better at running one got. The best runner was aged 60. Lung capacity and other measures actually improved with age. People were healthy until well into their 100s and died in their sleep. Chopra remarks that things have changed since the introduction of Budweiser (beer) and TV.

[DISCUSSION: How might TV be a factor in changing the former ideal state of things?]

Chopra refers to Dr. Ellen Langor a former Harvard Psychology professor’s work. Langor advertised for 100 volunteers aged over 70 years. She took them to a Monastery outside Boston to play “Let’s Pretend”. They were divided into 2 groups each of which resided in a different part of the building. One group, the control group spent several days talking about the 1950s. The other group, the experimental group had to live as if in the year 1959 and talk about it in the present tense. What appeared on their TV screens were the old newscasts and movies. They read old newspapers and magazines of the period. After 3 days everyone was photographed and the photographs judged by independent judges who knew nothing of the nature of the experiment. The experimental group seemed to have gotten younger in appearance. Langor then arranged for them to be tested for 100 physiological parameters of aging which included of course blood pressure, near point vision and DHEA levels. After 10 days of living as if in 1959 all parameters had reversed by the equivalent of at least 20 years.

Chopra concludes from Langor’s experiment: “We are the metabolic end product of our sensory experiences. How we interpret them depends on the collective mindset which influences individual biological entropy and aging.”

Can one escape the current collective mindset and reap the benefits in longevity and health? Langor says, society won’t let you escape. There are too many reminders of how most people think linear time is and how it expresses itself in entropy and aging – men are naughty at 40 and on social welfare at 55, women reach menopause at 40 etc. We get to see so many other people aging and dying that it sets the pattern that we follow.

Chopra concludes we are the metabolic product of our sensory experience and our interpretation gets structured in our biology itself. Real change comes from change in the collective consciousness – otherwise it cannot occur within the individual.

Dr. Victor Barnes is an Adelaide psychologist and hypnotherapist. He has also had three decades of experience in adult education including serving as Dean of a Sri Lankan college (ICBT) teaching several Australian degrees. His overseas experience includes studies and consulting experience in USA, PNG, Poland and Sri Lanka.

July 31, 2015 by Leigh St John · Comments Off on How old is too old – and are YOU too old?Filed under: Articles

Are you too old? That’s actually a loaded question…

On the weekend I watched a documentary on PBS about John Glenn.

While many know of – and even remember – his inspiring flight in 1962 as the first American into orbit, what I didn’t know was that while he was a sitting Senator and holding down that position, he was training for yet another space flight and in 1998 he became the only astronaut to have been a part of both the Mercury and Discovery missions…

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- Coffee and bagels will be served
- A time to show gratitude by thanking those who have sent you referrals
- Announcements around the room
- One minute commercials
- Open Discussion on topics of Self Empowerment